At this point of the NBA regular season, teams are either preparing to keep their squad healthy and ready for the playoffs or preparing for the offseason while looking at their position in the NBA Draft.
The Dallas Mavericks were recently eliminated from playoff contention and, as a result, will focus their energy on improving in the offseason, but it has come without a fair sense of controversy after the team’s recent loss to the Chicago Bulls.
Superstar Luka Doncic played only 13 minutes against the Bulls and exited the game to keep him healthy and decrease the chance of winning, potentially improving draft position.
This didn’t sit well with the NBA, as they’ve launched an investigation and the Mavericks’ roster decisions against the Bulls, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
NBA spokesman Mike Bass: “The NBA commenced an investigation today into the facts and circumstances surrounding the Dallas Mavericks’ roster decisions and game conduct with respect to last night’s Chicago Bulls-Mavericks game, including the motivations behind those actions.”
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 8, 2023
Ultimately, the Mavericks went on to lose to the Bulls by three points, with five players off the bench scoring in double figures and Doncic being the only starter to crack double digits with 13 in 13 minutes.
Winning was not the No. 1 priority for the Mavericks on Friday night, which may cost them due to their blatant actions.
Although Doncic played in this game, the Mavericks rested Kyrie Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Christian Wood, giving this team little chance to compete against the playoff-bound Bulls.
With the kind of season filled with ups and downs, it’s hard not to agree with the move by the Mavericks to keep their stars on the sideline and have Doncic play limited minutes.
It’ll be interesting to see what actions the league takes moving forward after the investigation is concluded.
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Fans React To Mavericks Underwhelming Record Since Kyrie Irving Trade
