The Dallas Mavericks faced their 16th defeat of the season on Monday night, falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves and slipping to 10th in the West with a 15-16 record.
Dallas, now under .500, had a really rough night and it was all made worse by not one but two ejections that only hurt them more.
Luka Doncic and Jason Kidd have been ejected from tonight’s game. #MFFL | @dallasmavs on @BallySportsSW 📺 pic.twitter.com/XMC1EEaHp9
— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) December 20, 2022
During the third quarter, Luka Doncic attempted to draw a foul by creating contact between him and Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels before his shot.
But the whistle didn’t come for what Doncic felt was a clear foul – and he wasn’t too happy about it.
He let his feelings – and emotions – show and that caused him to get two technical fouls and an immediate ejection from the game.
Then things went from bad to worse as head coach Jason Kidd took to the floor to try and defend Doncic.
He, too, was then ejected from the game.
So in a span of just a few seconds, the Mavericks lost their best player and their coach.
And just moments later, they lost the game too.
Luka Looking For Fouls
Doncic has never been one to bite his tongue when he feels he’s owed a foul but he’s been even more vocal this year when arguing with the referees.
However, he is earning 10.3 free throws per game, which shows that he is receiving a lot of whistles from the officiants.
But you can’t blame Doncic for feeling frustrated because his team is not where it should be.
The absence of Jalen Brunson is definitely being felt these days and the fate of the backcourt is resting solely on Doncic’s shoulders.
As his team sinks further down the standings, you can expect more frustration to bubble up during games.
