SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Dallas Mavericks have the talent and the desire to beat the Sacramento Kings. It just seems they haven't got the heart yet.

After getting two impressive victories in Texas to wrest control of a series that seemed destined for a long run, Sacramento can eliminate the Mavericks from the Western Conference semifinals with a victory at Arco Arena in Game 5 on Monday night.

The Kings held a light workout at their training complex Sunday. Though All-Star Peja Stojakovic isn't expected to play in Game 5 because of his sprained ankle, many of their key contributors were healing nicely from the scars -- physical or mental -- of their two hard-fought wins.

"A lot of the guys on this team have been together for a few years now, and that's an asset in the playoffs," said Chris Webber, who scored 30 points in Game 4 but fouled out. "You develop a trust with your teammates. That's what the Lakers have, and I think we're pretty close to having just as much of a bond."

That experience and togetherness were overlooked by those who thought the Mavericks would be able to outgun the Kings in the meeting of the NBA's highest-scoring teams. All four games in the series have been relatively close, but Sacramento has shown much more of the tenacity that often decides the postseason.

The Kings earned that toughness over the previous three seasons, when they lost two first-round series that went the limit, then were swept by the Lakers in the second round last spring.

"You learn things from your previous seasons in the playoffs," coach Rick Adelman said. "You still have to win the games on your own, but there's an aspect of mental toughness that takes a long time to develop. We've got a few new guys in our rotation, but we're getting there."

In Game 4, the Mavericks couldn't close out the Kings despite the urgency of a 2-1 series deficit and the absences of Stojakovic, Webber and Vlade Divac with injuries and foul trouble.

Instead, the game was won by surging Mike Bibby, backup Bobby Jackson and ironman Doug Christie -- who got treatment Sunday on a sprained ankle, a two injured wrists, a bruised tailbone and a black eye after guarding 7-foot All-Star Dirk Nowitzki for much of Saturday.

"I thought they were more poised under pressure than we were, but I think they have more experience than us there," Dallas coach Don Nelson said.

After two tenacious victories in Dallas, the Kings seem all but ticketed for their first conference finals since 1981. That's when the Kansas City Kings made an underdog run before losing to the Houston Rockets, who were owned by George Maloof Sr. -- the father of current Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof.

And after struggling to play .500 ball on the road for much of the regular season, the Kings are getting the tough road victories that define superior playoff teams. Sacramento has yet to lose in an opposing arena during the playoffs, and the Kings have won six of their last eight road playoff games in the past two seasons.

Surprisingly, their success hasn't been as great at Arco, where they have lost five of their last eight postseason games. That's a ray of hope for the Mavericks, who were the NBA's best road team during the regular season and won Game 2 in Sacramento.

"We just have to let this one go and regain our composure," Dallas All-Star Steve Nash said. "When we're backed into a corner is when we are the most resilient. On Monday, you'll see a resilient club, especially on the road where they'll have a chance to close it out."

The Kings don't expect Stojakovic, their second-leading scorer, back in the lineup for the rest of the series. If Adelman holds to his usual form, he will wait to see Nelson's lineup before deciding who will take the bulk of Stojakovic's minutes.

"It's another challenge for us to win without Peja," Bibby said, "but we've had nothing but challenges this season."