Carlos Nava | ESPN DigitalReading: 4 min.
Crisis in Dallas: Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving do not find chemistry
In addition to the fact that the star duo does not seem to get into a rhythm on the court, the recent defeats they have suffered are beginning to affect the harmony in the Mavericks locker room.
DALLAS – Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle warned before Tuesday night’s game that no one is going to want to face the Dallas Mavericks because they have two of the best shooting guards in the NBA, Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. .
But at the end of the day, Carlisle himself taught that it may be the opposite, that everyone wants to measure themselves against the Mavs right now because since Irving and Doncic played together they have only won one game.
The Pacers defeated the Mavericks 124-122, who lost their second consecutive home game in three days and once again showed problems that seem to be recurring since Irving arrived in a trade before the All-Star Game.
Irving missed the game-winner for the second game in a row, in the final seconds to try to at least tie the game. “It was a good shot,” Doncic said. “It’s Kyrie. He can make a lot of those shots. We trust him.”
The Mavericks have lacked consistency in fundamental things, including rebounding and shooting from the free line, not to mention that they have forgotten to defend in the second half of the two losses they have suffered, Sunday’s against the Los Angeles Lakers and Tuesday against Indiana. The Mavericks allowed a combined 75 points between the second and third quarters…
“We have to play four quarters,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd quipped. “In the NBA there are no advantages that are impossible to overcome. I think we have confirmed that in these last two games.”
Not even with Doncic, who on his birthday scored 39 points, had nine rebounds and six assists; Neither with the return from the injured list of Maxi Kleber, who had not played since mid-December due to a hamstring injury, nor Irving’s 16 points, much less with Tim Hardaway’s four triples, did the Mavericks get the game against a team that came to Dallas eight games shy of .500 and fourth worst in the Western Conference.
“I think Maxi was very good,” Kidd said. “Nine points even though we limited him to minutes. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. I think the guys were happy to have him out there on both sides. He was cooperative on offense and on defense, he did what he knows how to do.”
The Mavericks are 32-31 on the season and 1-4 when Doncic and Irving play together.
“We should be talking about the entire team,” Doncic said. “We play as a team. We lose and win as a team. It’s not about just two players. It’s about the whole team. We have to improve as a team. “We still have some things to work on, especially defense.”
Instead, the Pacers celebrated the birthday of their mover Tyrese Haliburton with 32 points.
But even better for his coach, Carlisle celebrated by beating his former team for the first time since he left at the end of the 2020-21 season. Carlisle directed 13 seasons to the Mavericks, who in 2010-2011 won the only title in their history under his command.
The Mavericks host the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday in the fourth of six straight home games.
