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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. Swell Bottle Sale . Carey Price didnt, but he still came out on top against one of his rivals for the No. 1 job at the Sochi Games. The Anahim Lake, B.C., native was stellar in making 39 saves in his home province and Lars Eller got credit for a bizarre short-handed winner as the Canadiens defeated the Canucks 4-1. Liberty London sWell Bottle . -- Charline Labonte couldnt have asked for a better homecoming. http://www.swellbottleuk.com/sale-swell-bottle-uk.html Swell Wood Bottle . The CFLs leading rusher kept adding to his gaudy numbers this season and scored the winning touchdown with just over two minutes to play. The New Westminster, B.C., native plowed three yards into the end zone for the last score of a heated, see-saw battle between the two teams with the best records in the CFL. Swell Uk Bottle . After taking two big hits this week -- losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season -- Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. Well find out a lot more about where things stand in the race for the College Football Playoff when the official rankings come out next week. Leading up to the big reveal, our college football experts narrowed the field to the 10 teams with the best shot at the national title.Heres a look at Clemsons title chances; to vote for who you think will win it all, go to our poll page or scroll to the bottom of this feature:The case for ClemsonClemson has already beaten Louisville, which effectively puts the Tigers two games ahead of the Cardinals in the ACC Atlantic standings. Also, Florida State has two losses. FPI projects the Tigers to have an 89 percent chance at winning the division, the highest of any Power 5 team.-- ESPN Stats & InfoThe case against ClemsonClemsons offense hasnt been as impactful as it was last season. The Tigers rank 29th in offensive efficiency this season after ranking ninth last season.Deshaun Watson isnt performing like the QB we saw last season. He has a 75 Total QBR, 25th in the FBS; last season, he had an 87 Total QBR, which ranked fifth in the FBS. Watson also has two games in which his Total QBR was below 65. Before this season, he had zero such games in his career in games he would have qualified for the QBR leaderboard (20 action plays).-- ESPN Stats & InfoTalking pointsVegas odds:?Clemson has 8-1 odds to win the national title, according to Westgatte SuperBook.ddddddddddddhat FPI says:?According to ESPNs Football Power Index, the Tigers have a 33.2 percent chance of winning out through the regular season and conference title game, the 10th-highest percentage in the nation, and a 71.7 percent chance of winning the ACC. Their remaining schedule, which includes a matchup against No. 12 Florida State on the road, ranks as the 42nd-most difficult.ESPN Senior Writer Mark Schlabach:?The six FBS foes the Tigers have defeated this season are a combined 14 games above .500. Thats the best opponents record among the top four teams in the AP Top 25: Alabamas eight FBS opponents are 34-25, Michigans seven opponents are 27-24 and Washingtons six opponents are 16-28.ESPNs Mackenzie Kraemer:?Despite its undefeated record and inside track to win the ACC, Clemsons 8-1 odds to win the title are worse than its odds when the line opened in January (7-1). FPI gives the Tigers a 72 percent chance to win the ACC and a 33 percent chance to enter the College Football Playoff undefeated. This weeks matchup against Florida State is by far the toughest game remaining before the ACC Championship Game.Now that youre stuffed with numbers and analysis, are you convinced the Tigers are going all the way? Cast your vote below. ' ' '