By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Before the game against the Chicago Bulls, the Dallas Mavericks knew they had to win in order to reach the Play-In tournament, but Kyrie Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr, Josh Green, Maxi Kleber, and Christian Wood were all announced as sidelined. Luka Doncic played only 13 minutes.
Minutes before the 115-112 loss that cost the franchise a spot in the Play-In, head coach Jason Kidd explained the situation. “We were fighting for our lives, and understanding this is a situation we’re in, but the organization has made the decision to change. So, you know, we have to go by that and that’s something that happens. So the guys that are playing, we got to go out there and put our best foot forward, and we talked about that this afternoon. And the guys that are playing are gonna go out and try to play to win. You gotta be pros. You can’t cheat the game”, he said.
After the game, Jason Kidd said his players gave it all and that the goal is leaning towards an NBA ring. “It’s not so much waving the white flag. These decisions sometimes are hard in this business. We’re trying to build a championship team. With this decision, this is maybe a step back. But hopefully, it leads to going forward”, the Mavericks‘ head coach added.
The Dallas Mavericks ended the 2022-23 NBA Regular Season with a 38-43 record, out of the playoffs picture. Luka Doncic, who previously said that “When there’s still a chance, I’m gonna play”, averaged 32.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game. But he wasn’t enough to get his team to the playoffs.
With little room for additions in the salary cap, Dallas wants to keep Kyrie Irving and nothing else should be considered a given, if the team wants to drastically improve and convince Doncic that he can win a ring with the Mavs.
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images