The NBA was watching the Dallas Mavericks very closely ahead of- and during their loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. The Mavs, who decided to rest multiple players, including star Luka Doncic after just one quarter of play, are facing an investigation from the league for their perceived tank job, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
NBA spokesman Mike Bass said the following in a statement, “The NBA commenced an investigation today into the facts and circumstances surrounding the Dallas Mavericks’ roster decisions and game conduct with respect to last night’s Chicago Bulls-Mavericks game, including the motivations behind those actions.”
The Mavs listed star guard Kyrie Irving and Maxi Kleber as out due to “injury recovery”, while listing Christian Wood and Josh Green as out due to rest.
But perhaps the most eyebrow-raising move was Dallas' strategy with Luka Doncic. Before the loss to the Bulls, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd told reporters that the star would only play in the first quarter before being shut down for the season's final game.
With a rotation of just seven players in the second half, it was obvious to even the workers at the concession stand that Dallas had no plans on winning the game.
While the Mavs needed some help to still even have a chance at the Play-In Tournament, their shady tank job definitely caught the attention of the NBA.
The Mavs, who lost eight of their last 10 games to fall out of contention, now have something else to worry about.
Now, all eyes will be on the league's investigation into Dallas.
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