"Luka telling them to scrap that sh**ty court" - Mavericks not playing on special tourney court against Rockets has NBA fans buzzing
The Dallas Mavericks are scheduled to face the Houston Rockets tonight at 8:30pm Eastern Time for the In-Season Tournament. With Dallas hosting the Rockets at their home court (American Airlines Center), ESPN's Tim MacMahon has reported that team will not be using their In-Season Tournament court for the matchup.
MacMahon reported that the "defect" of the court is still present. It was previously mentioned that the Mavericks' tournament court needed more tweaks to meet league standards, resulting in a delay due to a "manufacturing issue."
From his report, a number of NBA fans tweeted out their reactions via X:
"The defect is Luka telling them to scrap that shitty court!"
From the fans' reactions, they were quick to mock the Dallas Mavericks for being the only team playing with their regular season court during the In-Season Tournament.
The newly designed courts have been met with mixed reactions from the fans and players alike due to the modern design and some reported safety issues.
Additionally, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd briefly talked about the situation, as per ESPN's Tim MacMahon, saying:
"It didn't meet the league standards so we can't play on it. It happens. We've got plenty of courts, so we've got one to play on."
It is yet to be seen when the team's tournament court will finally finish manufacturing and if it will finally pass league standards.
How did the Dallas Mavericks fare in their last In-Season Tournament game?
On Nov. 14, Dallas went up against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center. During their last matchup, against the Pelicans, they secured a 136-124 victory. However, things didn't go the same route in their second head-to-head meeting.
Dallas ended up losing the game with a score of 131-110 and only managed to shoot the rock at 42.2% shooting, including 33.3% from 3-point range. Meanwhile, the team allowed the New Orleans Pelicans to shoot the ball efficiently at 52.1% shooting, including 36.8% from 3-point range.
Moreover, the team is ranked 25th in the league defensively (117.2) and 4th offensively (118.0). Their defensive shortcomings yet again showed up as they struggled to limit their opponents' offensive looks and rhythms.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd briefly spoke about the team's performance while not making the Pelicans' In-Season Tournament court as an excuse for the loss, as per The Dallas Morning News' Brad Townsend:
"We've had problems with the floor, but it's too late," Kidd said. "There's nothing about the floor. Tonight, we're not using the floor as an excuse so just make sure we're not quoted on saying the floor is the reason why we lost turnovers and give credit to New Orleans coming out and playing hard."
The team will look to bounce back ahead of their upcoming tournament matchup against the Houston Rockets, .