The Dallas Mavericks have officially reached for the panic button a quarter-way into the season. After a devastating 120-89 loss to the Sacramento Kings, a team that is shaping up to be a lottery team, the media was ushered out of the locker room earlier than usual as the players and coaching staff gathered for a meeting, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
The Mavericks were down 21 points entering the fourth quarter and the defense didn't get much better from there, allowing the Kings to shoot 56 percent from the floor while turning the ball over 20 times.
“It was disservice to us as teammates, it was a disservice to the coaching staff who put in work and it was a disservice to the fans that came here tonight,” forward Harrison Barnes told MacMahon minutes after the game.
The reaction from head coach Rick Carlisle was all the more poignant, taking the responsibility squarely on his shoulders, despite the myriad of injuries that has plagued the team all season long.
“That was a very, very, very disappointing performance,” said Carlisle. “It starts with me; I've got to do a better job getting these guys ready to play, getting them ready to compete. The second half was inexcusable. the way we played — just the way we performed all around — everything from how we competed, decision-making. Shot-making comes and goes, but the competitive spirit has got to be there.”
“We're going to do better,” added a disappointed Carlisle.
Dallas sits at the very bottom of the league standings with a 4-17 record. The team meeting reportedly lasted a good 35 minutes before the players exited American Airlines Center.
The Mavericks will look to bounce back when they host the Indiana Pacers on Friday, as they play three out of their next four games at home before embarking in a grueling end of the month where they play seven of nine opponents on the road.
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