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Tim McMahon
Dallas-the Mavericks‘ When the home crowd first chanted “Fire Nico!” When I entered, the lead of 13 points had reduced to one. amid an ethereal chant Monday night at the American Airlines Center.
Fans called for embattled general manager Nico Harrison to be fired several times during the fourth quarter, which took a toll on the No. 1 pick. cooper flagCareer high 26-point performance and milwaukee bucks, Comeback win 116-114 This dropped Dallas to 3–8.
This chant, which has since become controversial, has been heard frequently at Mavs home games. luka doncic trade in February, resonated across the region for the first time during Dallas Forward pj washingtonTrip to the free throw line with 7:07 remaining. This was repeated during four Mavs trips down the line, the final spell occurring after Washington missed the second of three free throw attempts with 1.2 seconds remaining and a chance to send the game into overtime.
Mavs governor Patrick Dumont had no apparent reaction to the chants as he sat courtside attending a game for the first time since the blowout loss to Dallas. San Antonio Spurs In the season opener. Dumont spent several minutes at the beginning of the second half chatting cordially with an 18-year-old fan who was wearing gold Doncic. lakers Jersey and contacted to apologize for removing Dumont’s jersey during the opening match on October 22.
Washington said of the chants, “Everyone has an opinion, so everyone is entitled to it.” “I mean, it is what it is. At the end of the day, we just have to come out here and do our job — and that’s being professional, playing basketball and trying to win every night. That’s what it is right now. Just keep moving forward.”
Multiple league sources told ESPN it appears likely Dumont has fired Harrison, if not more. Dumont, who walked off the field with Mavs minority owner Mark Cuban after the loss, has not commented publicly this season.
The Mavs have lost five of the six games the power forward/center has missed. anthony davisWho has been sidelined due to a left calf strain. Davis, the headliner in the Mavs’ return from the Lakers in the Doncic deal, has been ruled out after being listed as questionable the past two games.
Sources tell ESPN that Davis was targeting a Saturday night road game washington wizards He wanted to return, but members of the Mavs’ medical staff pushed back out of fear that it might aggravate the injury. A similar situation played out in Davis’ debut with the Mavs last February, when he returned from an abdominal injury he suffered before the trade and suffered a related adductor strain that sidelined him for the next six weeks.
Sources said Dumont was one of the people involved in talks regarding Davis’ return in recent days, preferring to err on the side of caution. Dumont’s involvement in that level of decision making is indicative of a lack of confidence in Harrison.
Dallas players are determined to overcome the distractions created by uncertainty over Harrison’s job security and fans’ desire for his firing.
“There’s a lot of outside noise that we can focus on, but the main focus has to be on us winning games,” the Mavs center said. Daniel GaffordWho acknowledged that the hostility of fans can sometimes feel frustrating. “And if we start winning games we’ll win the fans back. That’s plain and simple, honestly. We can’t really just focus on that because if we do, it will do nothing but hold us back.”
shooting guard added clay thompson: “You’ve got to be focused. You’ve got to give the fans something to be proud of. I think tonight, our effort the last few games was unbelievable. So, the fans will be fans. You can only control what you can control, so they’re going to do what they do, but it’s important for us to stay on our path.”
Flagg had his best all-around performance in a Mavs uniform on Monday. He tied the knot at the age of 18 years, 324 days. Lebron James According to ESPN Research, he is the youngest player in NBA history to score more than 25 points in a game.
The highlight of Flagg’s 26-point performance was a spectacular spin move and driving finish on the former MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. giannis antetokounmpo This gave the Mavs the lead again with 28.7 seconds remaining. Flagg said he initially expected to dunk on the 6-foot-11 Antetokounmpo, but after realizing in midair that he couldn’t reach the rim, he decided to contest the dunk.
“It just wasn’t going to happen,” said Flagg, who was 15th from the floor and finished with 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks and a steal. “He’s a really big guy, really physical, really strong, obviously. So just making a read, challenging him at the rim. That’s what you’ve got to do. You’ve got to challenge these guys.”
Antetokounmpo scored 15 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Bucks’ biggest fourth-quarter comeback since 2017. Flagg’s veteran teammates praised the rookie’s eagerness to challenge one of the league’s best players in clutch situations.
“It was unbelievable,” Thompson said. “You’re kidding me? He’s the Defensive Player of the Year, MVP. Fearless. I love that Cooper did that. I love that. He’s not afraid of the moment. It’ll pay huge dividends in the future.”
Flagg has avoided stoking fans’ anger toward management as losses mount for the Mavs, instead focusing his energy on competition and development as he adjusts to the NBA.
“All I can do is keep working, keep performing, keep getting in the gym, keep taking reps, keep putting in the work, meet with trainers, watch film and keep being confident,” Flagg said. “I know who I am and what I’m capable of. So, it’s one of those things where you just have to overcome it and do your best. Looking forward to the next day.”
