Mavericks Eliminated From NBA Playoffs: Tanking To Be Blamed?

After sitting many key players to maximize NBA Draft outlook, the Dallas Mavericks tanked their way to a loss against the Chicago Bulls.

Mavericks Eliminated From NBA Playoffs: Tanking To Be Blamed?

The Dallas Mavericks were defeated 115-112 on Friday night by the shorthanded Chicago Bulls, who saw Coby White score 24 points. This eliminated Dallas from play-in contention a year after the team had advanced to the Western Conference finals.

It was announced hours before tipoff that Kyrie Irving (right foot injury recovery), Josh Green (rest), Tim Hardaway Jr. (left ankle soreness), Maxi Kleber (right hamstring injury recovery) and Christian Wood (rest) all were ruled out.

Before the game, Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said that a “organizational decision” had been made to only let fellow All-Star Kyrie Irving and four other regulars to play the first quarter of the game.

Despite the change, the Mavericks had a substantial lead at the end of the second quarter when Markieff Morris scored 13 points and youngster Jaden Hardy sank a half-court jumper to beat the buzzer and make it 67-54.

Morris and Hardy didn’t play in the second half, and Dallas’ lineup, which was primarily made up of guys who spent the season in the back of the bench, gave away the lead but managed to keep the game close.

Irving missed time due to right foot healing. Tim Hardaway Jr., who had a painful left ankle, Maxi Kleber, who was recovering from a right hamstring ailment, Josh Green, and Christian Wood were all seated with him.

Although Luka Doncic wasn’t completely ruled out, his night would end after the first quarter of play. He remained on the court for a brief period of time in the second quarter, maybe to draw a foul to set up a dead-ball scenario for a standing ovation. He had 13 points, five rebounds, and three assists in his 13 minutes of action.

While management may have wanted to tank, the players with something to prove didn’t seem to get the memo.

The Mavs were easily outscored for a large portion of the fourth period despite what turned out to be an excellent attempt to salvage their tanking efforts. With less than five minutes remaining, the Bulls went on an 18-2 run to extend their advantage to five points. With 2:18 left in regulation and the Bulls’ advantage down to just two points, it was a tight call. In the end, Chicago persevered to win.

 

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