Tag: dallas mavericks

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving seems to have a bleak outlook on the team’s playoff hopes.

After a 116-108 loss to the Sixers on Wednesday, Dallas dropped to the No. 11 seed in the west — and one spot out of the play-in tournament.

Irving — who was seen chirping back and forth with a fan during the contest at Wells Fargo Center — let an F-bomb fly while discussing where Dallas ranks in the standings.

“What does our future look like?” Irving said postgame when asked about being traded midseason for the first time in his career. “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–k, to be honest with you.

“Because we’re 37-40, and we’re trying to get into the play-in game. It’s not the expectations I don’t think any of us had in that locker room and me getting traded midseason.”

Irving — who was traded from the Nets to the Mavericks last month — said he wanted to finish out the season as a Net.

“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 result, whether we make the playoffs or not.”

Irving added that his time in Dallas so far has been “great,” despite losing.

“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,” said Irving, who turned 31 last week.

“It’s been nothing but great here…so it’s been good, outside of the losses, of course. We’d like to win every game.”

Irving finished with 23 points, six rebounds and five assists in Wednesday’s loss at Philadelphia, where he appeared to take issue with a fan.

The eight-time All-Star appeared agitated in the first quarter while talking with the referee about the fan.

That came after Irving had another fan removed midway through Sunday’s 110-104 loss to the Hornets — Dallas’ fourth straight.

“He just called me out, my name,” Irving told reporters after the contest at Spectrum Center. “So I just had to make sure I looked him eye-to-eye, and see if he’d say it to my face.”

Two days prior, the Mavericks were booed by the home crowd in a 117-109 loss to the Hornets — with Dallas head coach Jason Kidd likening the team’s effort to “dogsh–t.”

Earlier this month, Irving got into another verbal spat with a fan during an eventual loss to the Pelicans.

“There’s nothing like fans trying to tell me how to play basketball,” Irving said while looking toward crowd at Smoothie King Center. 

After the game, Irving — who is a free agent this summer — went off on fans and the media in a Twitch rant, calling out those that believe they know the real him after watching him play basketball.

The Mavericks went 3-7 in their last 10 games.

They are 8-14 since acquiring Irving.

Dallas is currently a half game above No. 12 Utah — and one game behind No. 10 Oklahoma City Thunder for a spot in the play-in tournament. 

The Mavericks visit the Heat on Saturday, followed by the Hawks, Kings, Bulls and Spurs to close out the season.