Kyrie Irving Praised for Leading Luka Dončić-less Mavericks to Win vs. Kings

After starting the season 0-7 in games without Luka Dončić, the Dallas Mavericks have won three straight when their superstar doesn't play.

This current streak includes back-to-back victories with Kyrie Irving in the lineup after Friday's 122-114 win over the Sacramento Kings.

Irving didn't have his usual shooting touch in the game going just 5-of-14 from the field, but he still finished with 25 points by making all 12 of his free-throw attempts. The eight-time All-Star also made an impact as a facilitator with 10 assists, tying his season high.

The Mavs are averaging 118.7 points per game during this three-game winning streak. They had the league's worst net rating, field-goal percentage and three-point percentage in their first seven games without Doncic.

It's still an incredibly small sample size for Irving, but the early returns on the trade have been very positive for the Mavericks thus far.

Despite Kendrick Perkins' take on Irving's leadership, it's still important to remember this is only his second game and things can fall apart at any moment based on his history with teams.

But the vibes should be good for the Mavs right now. The honeymoon period is supposed to be fun, and they haven't even seen what the tandem of Irving and Dončić can do together yet.

Jaden Hardy scored 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range and was +15 in 20 minutes off the bench. Dallas reserves outscored the Kings' bench 43-24 in Friday's win.

That could happen against the Kings in the second night of a back-to-back. Dončić told reporters after Friday's shootaround he's hoping to play on Saturday night.

The Mavs will go for their fourth straight win in the encounter.