On Tuesday, the Dallas Mavericks faced off against the Cleveland Cavaliers for their last matchup of the season. The Mavericks were previously on a seven-game winning streak before losing to the Indiana Pacers.
A mix of bad coaching and defense led to the Mavericks sluggishly falling to the Pacers. The Mavericks were looking to make a 180 against the Cavs, however, they would lose on a last-second half-court heave by Max Strus.
Despite the loss, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving again had amazing games. The two combined for 75 points in the loss, and Doncic brought the team back from down 15 early in the game. Without Doncic and Irving's contribution, the Mavs would have never stood a chance against Cleveland.
NBA fails to own up for robbery towards Mavericks during loss to Cavs
Multiple factors led to the loss for Dallas, but one that can't be overlooked was the inexcusable amount of missed calls from the referees down the stretch. Had one of the missed calls gone Dallas' way, the end result may have been in Dallas' favor.
One of the more egregious blown calls was with seconds left in the game when Josh Green was seemingly tackled at the corner after shooting a three. A second missed call that occurred in the game was on an illegal screen against the Cavs.
Instantly, fans were looking for answers, and after the NBA's Two Minute Report came out on the Cavaliers vs Mavs game, there were more questions among fans. The NBA reported only one missed call, which was a three-second violation on Cavaliers center Jarret Allen.
With only one blown call that the NBA reported against the Cavs, this felt like a slap in the face to fans after the league failed to take accountability for the multiple fouls on the Mavs. If the Mavericks file an investigation, it would likely be a lengthy process that would do the team no good.
The Mavericks will look to avoid three straight losses tonight against the Toronto Raptors. For more updates on Dallas Mavericks basketball, stay plugged in.