Controversy explodes: NBA is investigating Dallas Mavericks for alleged intentional forfeit – NBA

The Texans lineup sat Doncic out after the first quarter and Irving didn’t even play against the Chicago Bulls

The National Basketball Association opened an investigation into the Dallas Mavericks after the Texas team allegedly gave up the fight for victory in the meeting with the Chicago Bulls, which ended with the victory of the “Bulls” by 115-112. Jason Kidd’s team needed to win the last two games of the regular season – and wait for defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder – to still get to play but, oddly enough (or perhaps not, as we’ll explain later), Luka Doncic sat out after the first period and didn’t play. Even with Kyrie Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr., Christian Wood, Josh Green, and Maxi Kleber. The result: the Mavs are far from the playoffs and it is suspected that they have resorted to something called “tanking.”

A scramble occurs when a team intentionally loses games to stay in the bottom spot in the regular season and, at the same time, increase its chances of getting higher draft picks in light of the following season. Well, the franchise that owns Mark Cuban has the tenth (and protected) first-round pick of this year’s draft. Currently, Dallas is ranked 10th overall in the NBA and that option will only be threatened if they move up the “overall” position (losing it to the New York Knicks). Thus, when it fails to play, it “holds” that check.

“The NBA has opened an investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding the decisions regarding the Dallas Mavericks and their conduct during the game with the Chicago Bulls, including the motives surrounding those decisions,” said NBA spokesman Mike Bass.

Recall that the commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver, had already warned the owners at the beginning of the season that he would be more attentive to the “tank” phenomenon, in order to avoid a certain distortion of the competition.

By Joao Socorro Vegas