The Dallas Mavericks are reeling after another tough loss. Playing in Mexico City on Saturday night, the Mavericks blew a six-point lead entering the fourth quarter and were outscored 35-17 down the stretch, losing 122-110 to the Detroit Pistons.
Jalen Duren dominated inside with 33 points and 10 rebounds, while Cade Cunningham added 21 points and a career-high 18 assists to power Detroit to its second straight win. Duncan Robinson scored 18 points, six rebounds, and one assist, while rookie Ausar Thompson chipped in 15 points, seven rebounds, and one assist as the Pistons invoked fury from Mavs fans.
“Me at 90 years old still talking about how the Dallas Mavericks ruined my life in February 2025,” wrote one fam on X.
For Dallas, there was little to celebrate. D’Angelo Russell was their lone bright spot, scoring 31 points off the bench, while top pick Cooper Flagg managed a season-high 16 points despite shooting just 3-for-14 from the field. The Mavericks led 93-87 heading into the fourth quarter but collapsed defensively and struggled to generate consistent offense without star forward Anthony Davis, who missed the game with a left leg injury.
“Mavs really traded their generational superstar for a bust and an ancient relic,” one fan wrote in a brutal post.
The loss drops the Mavericks to 2-4 on the season, wiping out much of the optimism they built to start the year. This comes after a summer filled with renewed hope following the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade. With Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and Cooper Flagg, Dallas entered the season expecting to compete for a championship.
Instead, the results have been disappointing. Davis is sidelined again, Flagg is learning on the fly, and Klay Thompson has struggled to find any rhythm with averages of just 8.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game on 31.3 percent shooting.
“Klay Thompson really washed,” wrote one fan. “Watching this Pistons game I swear I thought he had a DNP until he made that layup legit forgot he was in the game.”
For a team that gave up a generational superstar to build this roster, the Mavericks are facing mounting pressure to prove this experiment can work. The fan base, still bitter over the Doncic trade, has already voiced frustration with the direction of the franchise.
“All real Mavericks know the team died and doesn’t exist anymore after the Luka trade,” one post read. “Root for a new team.”
The Mavericks will look to bounce back Monday night when they face the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. While Davis is not expected to return, Dallas still has enough talent to pull off a win and avoid falling into an early 2-5 hole.
The Mavericks are running out of excuses. A 2-4 record is not the end of the world, but it is a troubling sign for a team that was supposed to contend right away. Without Anthony Davis, their lack of depth and chemistry has been exposed, and frustration is clearly setting in. If Dallas cannot find a rhythm soon, this season could spiral fast. The pieces are there, and now it is on them to prove they can make it work before it is too late.
