RUSSELL Westbrook reached another personal career milestone as the Sacramento Kings held off the Dallas Mavericks, 113-107, in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season on Saturday night (Sunday in the Philippines) in Sacramento, California.
Westbrook delivered 21 points, five rebounds, and nine assists, enough to push him past Magic Johnson into seventh place on the NBA’s all-time assists list with 10,149.
The veteran point guard is also closing in on another mark, now just nine points away from matching Dominique Wilkins for 19th on the league’s career scoring list.
Sacramento controlled most of the contest, building a sizable cushion early and responding each time Dallas threatened. The Mavericks pulled within four points in the closing seconds, but DeMar DeRozan calmly knocked down a pair of free throws to put the game away.
Keon Ellis provided a major boost for the Kings, pouring in 21 points highlighted by five three-pointers. Maxime Raynaud added 19 points, while Dennis Schroder finished with 10 as they improved to 8-23.
Dallas was led by Cooper Flagg, who posted 23 points along with six rebounds and five assists, though his five turnovers proved costly. P.J. Washington chipped in 17 points and four blocks, and Klay Thompson scored 14, but the Mavericks fell to 12-21.
Meanwhile, Desmond Bane knocked down two go-ahead free throws with six seconds left as the shorthanded Orlando Magic pulled off a 127-126 escape over Denver Nuggets.
Bane concluded the match with 24 points, behind Anthony Black, who top-scored for the Magic with 38 points. Wendell Carter Jr., Tristan da Silva, and Paolo Banchero chipped in 18, 17, and 12, respectively.
Nikola Jokic finished with a triple-double of 34 points, 21 rebounds, and 12 assists to lead the Nuggets, while Jamal Murray added 24 markers, but missed a game-winning triple attempt at the buzzer.
Phoenix Suns, on the other hand, scored a 123-114 victory over New Orleans Pelicans in a match that saw the ejection of Suns’ Mark Williams and Pelicans’ Jose Alvarado for trading punches./PN
