TITLE: Middleton’s Fourth-Quarter Surge Ends Mavericks’ Slide; Zion Reaches Guarantee, Sengun Sits
SLUG: middleton-fourth-quarter-surge-mavericks-streak-zion-guarantee-sengun-injury
CONTENT:
Khris Middleton erupted for a season-best 35 points Thursday night in Memphis, powering the Dallas Mavericks to a 121-109 victory that stopped their eight-game losing streak.
The veteran forward, coming off the bench, hit 10 of 17 shots in just 25 minutes. Twenty-two of his points came in the fourth quarter, the most by a Dallas reserve since Rodrigue Beaubois scored 40 in March 2010.
“Once you get a couple going like that in the fourth quarter, it feels good,” Middleton said. “You just feel like anything you shoot has a chance to go in.” He credited teammates for setting screens and finding him during the late surge.
The 32-year-old can become an unrestricted free agent July 1 unless he reaches a veteran extension with Dallas before the new league year begins.
Front-office Search and Irving Outlook
In a mailbag for The Athletic, Christian Clark wrote that the Mavericks remain active in their hunt for a permanent general manager. Clark also predicted Kyrie Irving, out for the season while rehabbing a torn ACL, will still be on the roster for 2026-27 regardless of the team’s June draft choices.
Zion’s Salary Hits 60% Guarantee
New Orleans forward Zion Williamson secured a 60 percent guarantee on his $42.2 million 2026-27 salary by making his 51st appearance of the season Friday, ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported. The contract jumps to 80 percent if he reaches 61 games and fully guarantees if he also meets specified weight benchmarks.
Sengun Sidelined With Back Issue
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun sat out Friday’s matchup with the Pelicans because of lower-back pain, according to The Athletic’s Will Guillory. The team has not announced whether the two-time All-Star will miss additional games.
Source: Hoops Rumors
