Dallas is a disgrace, first team ever to tank with a Playoff birth on the line

[Shock Defeat]

DALLAS -- All-Star guard Kyrie Irving and four key Dallas Mavericks role players will sit out Friday night's home game against the Chicago Bulls, a game the Mavs must win to avoid being eliminated from the play-in scenario.

The team announced late Friday morning that Irving (right foot injury recovery), shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (left ankle soreness), small forward Josh Green (rest), and power forward/centers Maxi Kleber (right hamstring injury recovery) and Christian Wood (rest) would sit out against the Bulls, essentially for precautionary reasons.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/36105747/kyrie-irving-5-mavericks-ruled-win-game

[Hes_On_Fire]

This is blatant pathetic tanking. Silver should fine Cuban for this.

[payton2kemp]

This is blatant pathetic tanking. Silver should fine Cuban for this.

lol Knicks fans really want that pick. Teams have been tanking all season long. This is nothing.

[Hes_On_Fire]

This is blatant pathetic tanking. Silver should fine Cuban for this.

lol Knicks fans really want that pick. Teams have been tanking all season long. This is nothing.

Bruh this is the most blatant tanking I've ever seen.

They're in a potential playoff race with 2 games left after a big win and they're resting 5 rotation players. That's insane.

[Anticon]

Pretty sure they're not the first, and it's for a play-in spot, not a playoff spot.

They have a top ten protected pick and will likely lose in the play-in, this makes much more sense.

The play in makes us think that teams in that range should be competing. But Dallas is a below 500 team and isnt a serious threat to anyone. The idea that they're in a 'playoff race' is comical.

[HumbleRen]

Play in for what.

Wish our team had the balls to do this.

[nbafan38]

It's pretty absurb tanking honestly. Yes we get it Dallas is not a real threat but if the owner of the team is basically saying we have no chance even if we make the playoffs that is just sending a bad message imo.

[Archx]

"essentially for precautionary reasons"

Well yeah, would have been awkward if these guys would limp their way into Cancun. It's hard to swim with a twisted ankle.

[JXL]

Dallas wants to keep the pick for a trade on draft night. Wait for the lottery to see if the really keep it.

[Nate505]

The NBA is an anti-competitive disgrace. Unfortunately there's not much that can be done about it, other than public shaming.

[Tor_Raps]

Wow loll. This is basically the Mavs management admitting they've done a horrible job putting a team around Luka. Someone has to lose their job right?

I really hope Kyrie just leaves in the offseason and Luka demands out too. Oh and hope the Mavs move back in the draft lottery where they don't even get their pick lol.

[Dirk]

The Dallas Mavericks just beat the #3 seed the other night.

Now they are a disgrace.

Wake me up when Luka is shut down and doesn't play. Until then the only thing "disgraceful" is the ridiculous topic title. And by a Rockets fan no less.

The Mavs should have tanked after they lost to the Hornets, but they didn't sadly.

EDIT: the only disgraceful thing is that they took this long and probably are going to botch it anyway.

[QingJames]

Pathetic loser behaviour

[WargamesX]

Bulls might rest Lavine, Derozan, and Caruso. So Luka should be the best player on the floor by a wide margin.

[DaddyCool19]

Silver will gift them a Top 4 pick just to mess with the Knicks fans

[nbafan38]

Bulls might rest Lavine, Derozan, and Caruso. So Luka should be the best player on the floor by a wide margin.

The mavericks should still win but it's not the point. How is a team with a play in spot on the line not going all out to win?

[bisme37]

I imagine some of those guys are legit injured but I'd agree it's weird as hell to list guys out for "rest" when your season will end with a loss tonight. Rest for what?

[levon]

Congrats, is it a boy or girl playoff?

[NYPiston]

Pretty sure they're not the first, and it's for a play-in spot, not a playoff spot.

They have a top ten protected pick and will likely lose in the play-in, this makes much more sense.

The play in makes us think that teams in that range should be competing. But Dallas is a below 500 team and isnt a serious threat to anyone. The idea that they're in a 'playoff race' is comical.

No, it's a complete loser move. You have an MVP level player in Doncic and made this trade for Kyrie so you'd figure that they owe it to their best player to at least try to get into the playoffs where anything can happen when you have two players this good or maybe this is them admitting that Luka and Kyrie aren't that good. It's an embarrassment really, all for the sake of keeping what will be more than likely the 9th or 10th pick in the draft.

[og15]

I mean some of those guys are legit injured but I'd agree it's weird as hell to list guys out for "rest" when your season will end with a loss tonight. Rest for what?

Resting for next season of course

Rest assured, many of us fans' view of taking fluctuates based on whether it is our team or another team and whether it is of benefit to our team or not. It's an interesting phenomenon.