"Fire Kidd immediately!" - Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic 40-pointers save Dallas Mavericks from near-loss, fans express angry reactions
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving had to drop 40-point apiece to will the Dallas Mavericks to a 133-126 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Mavs faithful were livid with coach Jason Kidd as the team nearly blew the lead away at the start of the fourth quarter when the 76ers trimmed their 25-point advantage to only four points.
However, Doncic and Irving put the team on their backs and carried the struggling Mavericks to a much-needed win over one of the top contenders in the NBA. The former scored 42 points and dished out 12 assists, shooting 59.1%, while the latter had 40 points, six assists and three steals on 68.2% shooting.
However, Mavericks fans were left infuriated to see the disparity between the performances of their stars and the efforts and the coaching staff. One fan wrote on Twitter:
"Fire Kidd immediately."
@dallasmavs @luka7doncic @KyrieIrving Fire Kidd immediately
More such reactions followed:
@dallasmavs @luka7doncic @KyrieIrving fire Kidd play C-Wood more and we’ll be fine
@dallasmavs @luka7doncic @KyrieIrving Almost literally https://t.co/52Xcd9ZRXb
@dallasmavs @luka7doncic @KyrieIrving Luka and Kyrie on the Mavs https://t.co/uoNKrQXzn5
@dallasmavs @luka7doncic @KyrieIrving Never an easy win but thanks for winning
@dallasmavs @luka7doncic @KyrieIrving Dallas for the third straight game now:
Good win though. https://t.co/CCVtU8DgtW
@dallasmavs @luka7doncic @KyrieIrving Best shooting night in your teams history and only win by 7? Lmaooooo
@dallasmavs @luka7doncic @KyrieIrving damn seriously? i thought Dwight powell and Bertans did it?
@dallasmavs @luka7doncic @KyrieIrving I'm are guy's always stressing me https://t.co/7lgx6da4Nr
@dallasmavs @luka7doncic @KyrieIrving This is nice but Kidd is absolutely terrible.
@dallasmavs @luka7doncic @KyrieIrving We gotta find other way to win too
Can't be counting on both scoring 40 a game
@dallasmavs @luka7doncic @KyrieIrving Bruh we still almost choked that like 3 times
🤷🏻♂️.@dallasmavs @luka7doncic @KyrieIrving That tells you all you need to know about our so called “supporting” cast 😅🤷🏻♂️.
Dallas Mavericks record only their second win Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving's presence
The Dallas Mavericks haven't been the force they were expected to be following the acquisition of Kyrie Irving. The team lost a lot of depth as they traded Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie for Irving. However, critics believed Luka Doncic and Irving could compensate for the lack of depth.
Despite the two All-Stars playing out of their skins, the Mavericks haven't been able to record wins efficiently. Dallas has only recorded two wins in the presence of their two stars across five games. Their previous victory with Kyrie and Luka on the floor was against the lowly-ranked San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, February 23rd. The Mavericks won the tie 142-116, with Doncic scoring 28 and Irving tallying 23 points.
The Mavericks recently blew a 27-point lead during their 111-108 home loss against the LA Lakers on Sunday (Feb 26th). They have been far too reliant on their offense.
Against the Sixers, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving became the first pair of teammates in franchise history to score 40 points each. The Mavericks shot a record 25-of-48 threes, their best shooting night ever. Doncic and Irving connected on a combined 13-of-21 shots from long range.
Yet, the Dallas Mavericks nearly blew another 25-point lead. Jason Kidd and his staff need to resolve the team's defensive woes. Their lineup has changed drastically since Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie's departures, which also combined with Maxi Kleber's injury absence.
It will be interesting to see how the Mavericks tackle this issue, as they spent significant assets to form the pairing of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.