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Tag: en/basketball/nba/dallas-mavericks

  • Mavericks “off to Cancun” after masterful tank job against Bulls

    Mavericks “off to Cancun” after masterful tank job against Bulls

    The Dallas Mavericks (38-43) are officially eliminated from postseason contention following a masterful tank job against the Chicago Bulls (39-42) Friday night at American Airlines Center (AAC).

    Mavericks owner Mark Cuban made his intentions of tanking quite evident when Kyrie Irving (foot), Josh Green (rest), Tim Hardaway Jr. (ankle), Maxi Kleber (hamstring) and Christian Wood (rest) were all ruled out against Chicago.

    Luka Doncic only played 13 minutes and sat after the first possession of the second quarter. He finished the contest with 13 points, five rebounds and three assists.

    Doncic, 24, likely wanted to end the 2022-23 NBA season in front of his fellow countryman, as it was “Slovenia Night” at AAC.

    Despite Dallas clearly looking to lose, the game still came down to the final play, where it became evident that Mavericks players were in on the tank job.

    Mavericks players in on tank job?

    Two players had the opportunity to score a triple that would have sent the game to overtime and keep the team’s hopes alive, but they both shot the worst possible bricks.

    Prior to the team’s postseason elimination, Mavericks reporter Tim MacMahon told ESPN‘s Malika Andrews why the team was obviously looking to lose, claiming that it’s a way to “stick it” to the New York Knicks for swiping Jalen Brunson.

    Cuban, 64, reportedly preferred to improve the franchise’s odds of landing a top 10 selection in the upcoming draft, which would effectively make the Knicks wait until next offseason to receive their pick from the Kristaps Porzingis trade.

    By then, the pick will be for a second-rounder, and the tank job makes sense because Mavericks players don’t believe they would even get too far in the playoffs, according to MacMahon.

    Mavericks crumble after trade deadline

    At the trade deadline, when Dallas acquired Irving, head coach Jason Kidd had his team rolling and well on their way to clinch a playoff berth. Mavericks gave up a lot of their depth in Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith to trade for the controversial guard.

    They were four games above .500 in a closely-contested Western Conference following Irving’s debut, which Doncic missed due to injury.

    Since then, the Mavericks have posted a 9-16 record, 8-12 with Irving in the lineup. He will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and is expected to leave the team, though Cuban has expressed his desire to keep him at the right price.

    Irving, 31, never managed to mesh with Doncic because both players are ball-dominant, leading to this end-of-game situation that sums up the Mavericks’ season after the trade. They host the San Antonio Spurs (21-59) Sunday before “taking off to Cancun.”



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  • Did Doncic insinuate that the referees were bought after the Mavs' loss?

    Did Doncic insinuate that the referees were bought after the Mavs' loss?

    The Dallas Mavericks were very unhappy with the refereeing in their two-point loss to the Golden State Warriors. There was a confusing play in which the Dallas team, after a timeout, thought it was their possession. However, it was for the Warrios, who took advantage of the hosts’ confusion to score the easiest basket in NBA history in a five-against-nobody move.

    Mark Cuban, owner of the team, said he would file an official complaint. It won’t do any good. It was a blunder of his own side’s rather than a refereeing error.

    In his comeback game after overcoming an injury, Luka Doncic again protested a lot to the referees and already in the last seconds made a globally recognizable finger gesture that is usually associated with money.

    If the league understands that he was insinuating that the referees were bought, he will have to repeat that gesture but by paying a fine.



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  • Luka Doncic sends Devin Booker a message for next time they meet

    Luka Doncic sends Devin Booker a message for next time they meet

    The Phoenix Suns (36-29) overcame the Dallas Mavericks (33-32) Sunday at American Airlines Center in a back-and-forth clash that ended with a scuffle between Luka Doncic and Devin Booker.

    Doncic, 24, spoke to the media after the contest and sent a message to Booker, 26, who also commented on the incident during his postfame press conference.

    Doncic and Booker once again face off on the court

    “Next time, don’t wait until there’s three seconds left to talk,” Doncic said.

    Booker and Doncic were both seen laughing during the altercation, fortunately not escalating into a violent confrontation.

    “You guys say you don’t want everybody to be friendly-friendly,” Booker said. “There you go, we got some smoke … It’s just two competitors going at it. Everybody speaks on how friendly the NBA is right now and don’t like that. I have no problem with Luka on or off the court, but when we’re competing, we’re competing.”

    Kevin Durant wins it for Suns

    NBA Twitter was quick to point out how Booker and Doncic have had beef since last season’s playoff series in which Dallas eliminated Phoenix.

    They also said that Booker must feel a heightened sense of power now that a legendary player such as Kevin Durant joined the Suns’ ranks.

    Durant, 34, scored a game-high 37 points, including the winning jumper with 11 seconds to play, lifting his new team to a 130-126 victory.

    Booker added 36 points, and Doncic scored 34 points despite a poor shooting night, going 8-for-23 from the field and 1-for-9 from deep.



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  • Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving play hot potato on final possession of loss to Timberwolves

    Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving play hot potato on final possession of loss to Timberwolves

    The Dallas Mavericks (31-28) fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves (31-29) Monday at American Airlines Center as Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving seemed to be playing hot potato on the final possession of the contest.

    Irving, 30, finished his first home match as a member of the Mavericks with a game-high 36 points to go with six assists and five rebounds in 40 minutes of action.

    Nets star Kyrie Irving’s son hilariously interrupts postgame press conference

    Doncic, 23, wasn’t too far behind, scoring 33 points, six dimes and 12 boards in 36 minutes on the floor.

    With 14.8 seconds left to play in the final frame, Jaden McDaniels tapped an inbound pass intended for Doncic, who nearly lost the ball but recovered it and passed to his new teammate.

    Irving could have scored a game-tying triple, but deferred back to Doncic when Anthony Edwards completely locked him down. Luka then returned the ball to Kyrie, who finally lost it right before the final buzzer.

    Are Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving a bad fit?

    Irving once again had an overall better game than Doncic, but failed to secure the victory for a second time.

    Mavericks are now 0-2 with their new backcourt of Doncic and Irving, making fans question if they’re a good fit.

    One of the main issues critics of the Irving trade had was that they wouldn’t know who would take the final shot.

    The sample size is small, but back-to-back losses against beatable teams is unacceptable, especially when Rudy Gobert goes for 21 points and 14 rebounds.

    New-look Timberwolves

    Edwards, 21, put the team on his back and scored 32 points on 12-for-22 shooting from the field. His three-point shot continues to fail him, but he’s going to have to keep firing away from deep.

    Karl-Anthony Towns has been sidelined since November 28 with a calf injury and Edwards is keeping the team afloat.

    Now that De’Angelo Russell is playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Edwards will also have to keep improving his playmaking. One assist against Dallas is not enough, despite the narrow victory

    Mavericks visit the Denver Nuggets (40-18) Wednesday, while Timberwolves host the Washington Wizards (26-30) Thursday.



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  • Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic join forces: Pros and cons of trade of the year

    Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic join forces: Pros and cons of trade of the year

    Kyrie Irving will join forces with Luka Doncic in what is considered as the trade of the NBA season.

    The Dallas Mavericks sit sixth in the Western Conference table with 28 wins and 26 defeats, with their owner Mark Cuban betting on raw talent in his bid to get back to the NBA Finals.

    Last, season the Mavericks reached their ceiling when they lost (4-1) in the Western Conference Finals to the Golden State Warriors.

    Meanwhile, Luka Doncic has grown tired of asking for help and Irving is a complement but also the leader that he needs by his side.

    Irving is a star

    Dallas traded two capable squad players Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie for Irving. Neither of the two players, however, have demonstrated that they can become stars of a winning team.

    As for Irving, he is definitely an NBA superstar. In the last eight games, the former Brooklyn Nets guard averaged 33 points with 51 percent shooting, including 44 percent from the three-point line.

    Two creators on the court

    From now on, Dallas will have two creators on the court. Doncic sometimes seems unstoppable when he takes to the rim, while Irving is one of the best ball handlers over the last decade.

    However, they will need to work on coordinating attacks, not abusing the ISO and looking for the extra pass when needed. Meanwhile, Doncic will be freed from double-teams on many occasions.

    “The double teams? I love them. It’s just releasing the ball, it’s easy basketball because there’s a lot of space and you just have to get the best shot you can,” Doncic even stated.

    Kyrie Irving has played alongside LeBron James.

    It has to be noted that Irving thrived when he had another scorer on his side in LeBron James. The two men led the Cleveland Cavaliers all the way to NBA glory after beating the Golden State Warriors.

    “I definitely feel like if I was in the same maturity level I am now and understanding who I am and I look back on that time then, we definitely would have won more championships together because there would’ve been a better man-to-man understanding about what I’m going through,” Irving admitted last year.

    “I didn’t know how to share my emotions, I didn’t know how to do that.”

    A player capable of causing trouble in the dressing room

    Irving‘s attitude at times remains his main drawback. He could cause problems in the dressing room as many players may struggle to deal with his strong personality.

    “I think you have a responsibility as a basketball player, like I do as a coach,” his former boss at the Nets, Jacque Vaughn, said.

    “I show up, I do my job every single day, that’s what I signed up for, and that’s my expectation for one through seventeen.”



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  • Mavericks All-Star Luka Doncic leaves game with high ankle sprain

    Mavericks All-Star Luka Doncic leaves game with high ankle sprain

    Luka Doncic left the Dallas Mavericks‘ game against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night with a sprained left ankle.

    The Mavericks said he would not return to the game.

    Doncic played just three minutes before limping to the locker room during a timeout. The 23-year-old, who was voted an All-Star for the fourth straight season earlier Thursday, came into the game averaging 33.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.6 assists.

    Luka Doncic was trying to make a move close to the basket against Phoenix’s Cam Johnson, but stepped on Mikal Bridges‘ foot before passing the ball and limping away. He grabbed at his lower left leg before Dallas coach Jason Kidd called for a timeout.

    The Suns and Mavericks both had a 25-24 record coming into the game.

    The Mavs defeated the Suns without Doncic

    Spencer Dinwiddie scored a season-high 36 points, Dorian Finney-Smith added 18 points and 12 rebounds, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Phoenix Suns 99-95 on Thursday night despite losing All-Star guard Luka Doncic to a sprained ankle early in the game.

    Dinwiddie’s hot shooting helped the Mavs thrive without Doncic, who limped to the locker room early in the first quarter and didn’t return. The veteran guard shot 10 of 18 from the field, including 5 of 6 on 3-pointers. He also made 11 free throws.



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  • Luka Doncic guided the Mavs past the Rockets with another triple-double

    Luka Doncic guided the Mavs past the Rockets with another triple-double

    For the second game in a row, Luka Doncic has managed to post a triple-double, this time against the Houston Rockets, and posting just 35 points, in comparison to his historic performance a couple of nights ago.

    The Dallas Mavericks won the game with a final scoreboard of 129-114, and extended their winning streak to five, the best they’ve had so far this season.

    Doncic scored 35 points, secured 12 rebounds and gave 13 assists tonight. This was the second time this season that the Serbian player posts a triple-double stat line on consecutive games.

    Jason Kidd was very happy about his team’s win against Houston

    Jason Kidd expressed his excitement about the Mavericks win this Thursday night, and despite his best player posting another triple-double, the coach for Dallas thinks they didn’t have to rely on Luka as everyone contributed to the win.

    “I thought this was a great team win. We didn’t have to rely on Luka.”

    Christian Wood added 21 points for the Mavs, while Dwight Powell had his best showing this season with 19 points coming of the bench, with Tim Hardaway Jr. adding 18 more.

    Doncic secured the triple-double with his 10th assist with 5:37 remaining in the third quarter.



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