The Dallas Mavericks have now officially been eliminated from playoff contention after a loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday night.
They had a chance toward the end of the game to potentially send it to overtime but Theo Pinson missed a long three-pointer. Cameras soon panned to owner Mark Cuban on the sidelines and he seemed to have some mixed feelings after that miss.
Mark Cuban reacts to the Mavs missing the game-tying shot.https://t.co/BboJ4LXo6z pic.twitter.com/XhHGOz9vDT
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 8, 2023
It did look like he had a smile on his face although a replay did show he was quite disappointed initially when the shot didn’t go in. There is little to no doubt that Cuban wanted his team to lose here, which is why they decided to have so many of their key players including Kyrie Irving sit out.
It was also announced before the game that Luka Doncic would only play in the first quarter and he exited less than a minute into the second. Despite all of this, the Mavericks led for much of the game, but the Bulls managed to get ahead in the fourth. Even after this Pinson miss, the Mavericks still had a chance to send it to overtime but missed three three-pointers in the last 11 seconds to lose 115-112. This loss improves their chances of keeping their first-round pick in the upcoming draft, as it is top-10 protected and the Mavs now have the 10th-worst record in the league.
Mark Cuban Has Not Been A Very Popular Figure Among Mavericks Fans This Season
That smirk Cuban had in the moments after that shot missed, isn’t going to sit well with Mavericks fans. They have been angry at him all season and have expressed their frustration at numerous points. His decision to let Jalen Brunson leave for the New York Knicks in free agency last year has proven to be a huge mistake too and while he tried to shift the blame for it elsewhere, not many are buying it.
He now has another guard that he has to negotiate with this summer and Cuban stated that re-signing Kyrie is their top priority. If he somehow fails to get that deal over the line, then he’s going to be in some trouble with the fans. The Mavs are in a very delicate situation at the moment and a couple of wrong decisions could see them headed toward total disaster.
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