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DALLAS -- ??? Even after scoring a season high in points, Dorian Finney-Smith wanted to talk about his defense.The rookie had 17 points, leading six Dallas players in double figures as the Mavericks beat the Sacramento Kings 99-79 Sunday.The Mavericks, who lost to Sacramento by 31 points at home 11 days ago, started fast. They made 11 of their first 15 shots and never trailed.Later, some of his teammates teased him for passing up open shots.When I get a hand on a ball or a tip, it gets me going, Finney-Smith said. I try not to lose focus on what I bring to the table, and thats defense. If Im making shots, thats a plus.Deron Williams, Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews each scored 15 for Dallas.DeMarcus Cousins scored 33 for Sacramento. The Kings were minus second-leading scorer Rudy Gay, who missed his third consecutive game because of a strained right hip flexor.A 10-0 Mavericks run early in the second quarter opened a 38-26 lead and the Kings never got closer than nine for the remainder of the game.Weve got to come out and be the aggressor, thats just plain and simple, Cousins said. We cant get off to slow starts. We cant let a team gain confidence. Weve got to be the aggressors every night.It was barely 30 degrees in Dallas and the start time was moved up three hours to 3 p.m. -- that avoided a conflict with the Cowboys, whose home game against Tampa Bay was originally scheduled for the daytime and later switched to night.Following a 120-89 home loss to the Kings on Dec. 7, the Mavericks called a team meeting. Theyve won three of four at home since then and are 3-3 overall.We remember (the loss), but the biggest thing is that our demeanor has to be like this every night, Matthews said.TIP-INSKings: Cousins had 23 of Sacramentos 44 points in the first half. ... Ty Lawson was the only other Sacramento player in double figures, with 10 points.Mavericks: The Kings scored just 14 points in the third quarter, a season low for a Mavericks opponent. ... Williams had seven assists and passed current Dallas television analyst Derek Harper for 21st place on the NBAs all-time assists list with 6,584.HARRIS A HERODevin Harris had a season-high 14 points and seven rebounds for the Mavericks. He made a three-point play and a four-point play to cap a 12-2 Dallas run that gave the Mavs a 76-56 lead with 2:33 left in the third quarter.Harris had missed the teams first 16 games with a sprained right big toe.When he feels good physically, he moves with joy out there, coach Rick Carlisle said.LET IT BEEKings coach Dave Joerger called for a truce in an ongoing spat between Cousins and the Sacramento Bee newspaper. Cousins recently confronted a Bee writer after a column that referenced the arrest of the 6-foot-11 stars brother.This guy is the face of our franchise, Joerger said. Hes done and said some things that he wishes he could do over. He has improved.Im not justifying anything that hes done. What he did was excessive. But enough is enough, he said.TRIBUTE TO SAGERThe Mavericks joined the list of NBA teams to hold a moment of silence before their game in honor of TNT broadcaster Craig Sager, who died Thursday. Team owner Mark Cuban remembered Sager fondly before the game.Smiles are underrated, Cuban said. Nice is underrated. Getting people to smile every time -- thats something not a lot of people have been able to accomplish.UP NEXTKings: Home against Portland on Tuesday. The Trail Blazers beat the Kings 122-120 in overtime on Nov. 11 in Portland.Mavericks: At Denver on Monday to start a four-game trip. Dallas plays six of its next seven on the road. Sonny Jackson Braves Jersey . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. Josh Tomlin Braves Jersey . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. https://www.cheapbraves.com/1443o-bobby-cox-jersey-braves.html . With the short-handed Warriors needing help from someone -- anyone -- to stop a three-game skid, ONeal returned from right knee and groin injuries that had sidelined him for four games and put up season highs with 18 points and eight rebounds. It was just enough to help lift Golden State to a 102-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Phil Niekro Braves Jersey . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. Shane Greene Jersey . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. CHICAGO -- The St. Louis Cardinals have a lot to accomplish if they want to return to Chicago in two weeks for a rematch of last years NL Division Series. They would have to qualify for one of the wild-card spots, then win the single-elimination playoff game.If they do, the Cardinals may be the one club that wont be fazed by Wrigley Field and the Cubs.Yadier Molina drove in four runs, Stephen Piscotty homered and the Cardinals improved their standing in the NL wild-card race by getting to Jason Hammel early in a 10-4 rout of Chicago on Saturday.Randal Grichuk added three RBI and Jhonny Peralta had three hits and scored three runs for the Cardinals, who stopped a two-game skid and are a half-game behind New York and San Francisco for the two NL wild-card spots.Its been a difficult year for us, up and down, but we got a good win and a lot of base hits, said Molina, who extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Hopefully, we can continue it.Hammel (15-10) allowed six runs and six hits while getting just seven outs, hurting his bid for a postseason rotation spot. A day after clinching the NLs best record, the Cubs were denied their 99th win and a record 57th at Wrigley Field.Dexter Fowler finished a home run shy of the cycle, Ben Zobrist had a two-run triple and Willson Contreras homered in the ninth for the Cubs, who are 3-6 at home against St. Louis and 53-17 against other teams.Theyre obviously the best team in the league, Molina said. We respect that. But at the same time we come here thinking about winning.Alex Reyes (4-1) needed 115 pitches to get through five innings. But the rookie settled down after a tough start and allowed three runs and six hits with six strikeouts.Hours after Fridays win, the Cubs clinched home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs when Washington lost to Pittsburgh. Manager Joe Maddon was watching on TV and declared it another checkmark for their season.They remained two wins shy of another goal -- 100 wins -- thanks to Hammels struggles.The right-handers solid previous outing renewed talk he could supplant John Lackey as the No. 4 playoff starter. But Hammel saw his ERA risse from 3.dddddddddddd56 to 3.83 after Maddons early hook.Molina had a two-run double and Grichuk a two-run single in the first. An inning later, Piscotty crushed Hammels slider 450 feet onto Waveland Avenue for a solo homer. Hammel was lifted after giving up two more hits in the third.Molina added a two-run single for his third hit in a three-run seventh against Hector Rondon. Piscottys third hit in the eighth off Rob Zastryzny scored another run.Reyes had his 11 1/3-inning scoreless streak snapped in Chicagos two-run first, and Fowlers RBI double an inning later made it 5-3. But Reyes allowed just two hits over his final three innings.When you have 71 pitches after three (innings), you typically got a lot more on you than the three runs they had, Cardinals manager Mike Mathney said. He just did a nice job of managing the innings.Maddon cleared his bench in the late innings as Chicagos four-game winning streak ended. The Cubs fell to 9-9 against St. Louis.They would be very tough, Maddon said of a potential playoff matchup. Theyre very good offensively. They can match up out of the bullpen. They do a lot of things.TRAINERS ROOMCardinals: Mathney said LF Matt Holliday (broken right thumb) was pretty sore a day after his first live batting practice session. Hell see a hand specialist Monday before being cleared to hit again. . SS Aledmys Diaz (arm fatigue) started after a day off. . Kolten Wong (shoulder) didnt start after an outfield spill Friday.Cubs: LF Jorge Soler (right side soreness) started for the first time since Sept. 16. . RHP Pedro Strop (knee, groin) reported no pain a day after his first appearance since Aug. 10.SCHEDULE CHANGEMaddon pushed his bullpen game to Thursday in Pittsburgh. Kyle Hendricks, Lackey and Jake Arrieta will start the first three games against the Pirates.UP NEXTLHP Jon Lester (18-4, 2.36 ERA) faces Cardinals RHP Carlos Martinez (15-8, 3.16) in Chicagos regular-season home finale Sunday night. Lester is 8-0 with a 1.05 ERA in his last 10 starts. ' ' '