The Dallas Mavericks aren’t serving to themselves. Determined for a win to maintain their playoff possibilities alive, Dallas dropped their second recreation in a row to the Charlotte Hornets on the highway, 110-104. As soon as once more, the Mavericks regarded torpid and uninterested regardless of the urgency of their scenario.

Dallas has misplaced four-straight video games and is sitting within the eleventh seed within the Western Convention and out of the play-in event. With seven video games left to play within the common season, they’re all must-win video games. The query will not be whether or not the Mavericks can muster the vitality to compete and win; it’s whether or not they even care to attempt.

“I feel it simply comes all the way down to your self within the mirror, on the finish of the day and seeing what you are able to do to assist the staff,” Tim Hardaway Jr. mentioned. “The need to win needs to be at an all-time excessive proper now. Even being a few video games out of the play-in — a pair extra video games out of not even being within the play-in — like I mentioned, want needs to be at an all-time excessive proper now.”

The need Hardaway talks about wasn’t there within the first half towards the Hornets. Like Friday evening, Charlotte constructed an enormous first-half league that left the Mavericks scrambling and on the lookout for solutions. Solutions have been in brief provide for Dallas all season.

If there was a brilliant spot in Sunday’s recreation, it was the play of Luka Doncic. After going 0-6 from the ground and scoring simply 5 factors within the first quarter, the Mavericks’ star erupted within the second quarter and carried his uptick in offense into the second half of the sport. He completed with 40 factors, 12 rebounds and eight assists.

Nevertheless, Doncic additionally picked up his sixteenth technical foul of the season after arguing a name with an official. NBA guidelines stipulate {that a} participant is robotically suspended with out pay for one recreation as soon as he receives his sixteenth technical foul throughout a daily season. The suspension comes at a time when Dallas can least afford to not have its finest participant.

“Hopefully, it’s rescinded,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd mentioned. “Didn’t suppose it was warranted, however we’ll see what occurs. If he’s suspended, we’ve got to maneuver on with the following man.”

The Mavericks have a fast turnaround. They are going to play the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis on Monday within the second recreation of their present five-game highway journey by the Jap Convention. The significance of those video games can’t be overstated after Sunday’s loss to Charlotte.

The Mavericks stay exterior the play-in event and should curb their four-game skid and begin racking up wins. Three of the 4 groups within the play-in — the Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder — have tiebreakers over Dallas. Nevertheless, the Mavs do personal the tiebreaker with the Los Angeles Lakers.

It could not matter if the Lakers, who acquired LeBron James again from harm Sunday, maintain successful and the Mavericks maintain shedding. Getting swept by the lottery-bound Hornets is a brand new and deserved low for Dallas. Nothing is working for the staff proper now; their effort and physique language reveal it.

Dallas confirmed a combat within the second half of its video games with Charlotte, however it couldn’t maintain the momentum. A dedicated effort to play onerous, or lack thereof, has been a staple of this disappointing season, and proper now, the Mavericks seem like a staff that both can’t play higher or isn’t involved in attempting.

“It’s simply unlucky that we let these two video games go,” Kidd mentioned. “So, we have got to determine how you can cease the bleeding.”