The Dallas Mavericks have dropped four out of their past five games after losing 116-108 to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Mavericks are one game out of 10th behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"I think that now, again, just where we are in the season, and where other teams are positioned already, it kind of looks like a bit of a clusterf---, to be honest with you," Kyrie Irving said. "Because we're 37-40, and we're trying to fight to get into the play-in game. It's not the expectations I don't think any of us had in that locker room."

Irving is still adjusting to his new situation with the Mavericks.

"I didn't expect to ask for a trade at that point in the season," he said. "So I wanted to finish out with Brooklyn, finish out with the season that we had going, and I didn't get a chance to do that. So some of the goals I had previously this season had to be shifted, and I had to be more than willing, which I am, to be flexible and adaptable and live with the results, whether we make the playoffs or not.

"I just have to be at peace with where I am and which I am, and trust of the guys that I'm going to be in that war room with every single day. So, I'm appreciative of them giving me the opportunity. It's been nothing but great here. And I've been at peace."

Irving added: "So it's been good -- outside of the losses, of course. We'd like to win every game."

Irving will be a free agent this offseason.

The NBA has rescinded a technical foul assessed to Luka Doncic during the third quarter of Sunday's loss by the Dallas Mavericks to the Charlotte Hornets.

Doncic will be eligible to play in Monday's game at the Indiana Pacers.

Doncic was suspended for the game after accumulating his 16th technical. Doncic will now be suspended for a future game should he receive a technical foul this season.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic was called for his 16th technical foul on Sunday afternoon. If that technical is not rescinded, Doncic will be suspended for the Mavs game on Monday at the Indiana Pacers.

After losing at home to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, Dallas dropped a road game at Charlotte on Sunday. The second loss to the Hornets was the Mavericks fourth consecutive loss overall. That saw Dallas drop to 36-39 on the season and pushed the Mavs out of the Play-In Tournament picture.

The Dallas Mavericks lost at home to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, falling to 7-12 since trading for Kyrie Irving. The Mavericks are 3-7 when Irving and Luka Doncic play together.

"We got to fight hard, play harder," said Doncic. "That's about it. We got to show we care and it starts with me first. I've just got to lead this team, being better, playing harder. It's on me."

Doncic also acknowledged that he is struggling to find joy on the court.

"I think you can see it with me on the court," Doncic said. "Sometimes I don't feel it's me. I'm just being out there. I used to have really fun, smiling on court, but it's just been so frustrating for a lot of reasons, not just basketball."

Asked what else was bothering him, Doncic cited issues in his private life.

Luka Doncic has been fined $35,000 for directing an inappropriate and unprofessional gesture toward a game official.

Doncic made the money sign toward a referee.

The incident occurred with :01.7 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Mavericks’ 127-125 loss to the Golden State Warriors on March 22 at American Airlines Center.

The Dallas Mavericks passed on two opportunities to sign Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $55.5 million extension, first in the offseason and again in January 2022.

When the Mavericks were finally ready to offer Brunson the extension after the trade deadline in 2022, it was too late as his value across the NBA was already far higher than that.

Brunson left the Mavericks to sign a four-year, $104 million deal with the New York Knicks.

"I can't say anything bad about Dallas," Brunson told B/R, "but obviously I wish things would've happened differently."

Brunson detailed his willingness to sign an extension with the Mavericks, which would have been very team friendly.

"There were two times that I thought we had offers on the table before the season, and then around, I think December or January, they looked the other way," Brunson said. "They had every right in the world to do so. I don't blame them for making any business decisions. That's on them."

Brunson is still complimentary of the Mavericks. 

"At the same time, I respect them," Brunson told B/R. "They brought me into this league and jump-started my career. Business is business. My four years in Dallas were special. When I first got drafted there, I had that mindset of seeing myself being there for a very long time. My vet at the time, J.J. Barea, he taught me so much and he was there for such a long time. I wanted that role of being with the Mavericks for the long haul of my career. I truly loved that place. As I continued to get older, I got better, and I got more opportunities to showcase my game.

"Both coaching staffs I had there were amazing. Jason Kidd helped unlock something in me that I didn't think would happen that fast. I was growing as a player, but when the playoffs hit, he pushed me to a new level. It was great there. The whole organization and the city of Dallas was special to me and my family. Those four years were amazing."

The Dallas Mavericks will file a formal protest following a 127-125 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, sources told Shams Charania and Tim Cato of The Athletic.

The play in question was an alleged referee mistake that lead to a Warriors basket late in the third quarter (the play can be viewed here).

"For those wondering about the play with 1:54 to go on the 3rd, let me explain what happened. The ref called Mavs ball. The announcer announced it. Then there was a timeout. During the time out the official changed the call and never told us. Then when they saw us line up as if it were our ball, he just gave the ball to the warriors. Never said a word to us They got an easy basketball. Crazy that it would matter in a 2 point game. Worst officiating non call mistake possibly in the history of the NBA. All they had to do was tell us and they didn't," tweeted Mark Cuban after the game. 

Cuban told The Athletic that the protest would focus on the "referees failure to correct an obvious moment of confusion."

The Mavs must also pay a $10,000 protest fee that will be refunded should it be successful. 

With the win, the Warriors now own the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Mavs. 

The Los Angeles Lakers are unlikely to pursue Kyrie Irving in free agency, sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic. The Lakers prefer to keep their trade deadline additions rather than gutting their roster to create the necessary cap space to sign Irving.

To create enough cap space to sign Irving, the Lakers would have to renounce D'Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura while also declining their team option on Malik Beasley, and also waiving Jarred Vanderbilt and Mo Bamba. 

The Dallas Mavericks traded for Irving shortly before the deadline and are interested in re-signing him in free agency. The Phoenix Suns also pursued a trade for Irving and have also been linked with him for the upcoming offseason depending on how their season plays out.

Kyrie Irving was seen wearing a walking boot on his right foot following the Dallas Mavericks' 112-108 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Irving, who said that the boot was  "just precautionary,” was hoping to play against the Warriors on Wednesday.

Irving added that his concern was re-aggravating a foot injury that cost him to miss games last week. 

Luka Doncic has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the San Antonio Spurs due to a left thigh strain.

Doncic will now miss his third straight game with the injury.

Kyrie Irving, who has missed the last two games with a sore right foot, remains questionable for Wednesday's game.

The Mavs lost twice to the Grizzlies without Doncic and Irving.