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Dallas Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving doesn't fancy his team's postseason chances after a disappointing 116-108 loss against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday (March 29).
The $136 million star hasn't had the most successful run of games with the Mavericks. Although he enjoyed some early success on arrival, the Mavs' fortunes have gone downhill very quickly.
With injuries to both superstars - Irving and Luca Doncic - the Mavericks have seen their season spiral out of control after the All-Star break, especially in the recent run of games.
With a loss to the 76ers on Wednesday night, Dallas fell to 37-40 on the season. They're now three games under .500 and clearly outside the play-in tournament. That doesn't bode well for a team that was expected to be a title contender this season.
Dallas' potential to compete for the chip skyrocketed on Irving's arrival. Unfortunately, with one game separating them from the OKC Thunder, the Mavs are in murky waters yet again. After the 76ers loss, Dallas Morning News' Callie Caplan asked Irving about the Mavs' playoff outlook.
A demoralized Irving responded:
"It kind of looks like a little bit of a clusterf**k right now."
During the postgame interview, Irving also addressed some of the issues he has beem dealing with, primarily with regards to adjusting to a new workspace and system. Nevertheless, he has tried to keep a positive outlook, but the team's overall situation remains jarring.
Kyrie Irving's output has gradually reduced in March
Kyrie Irving started March with a scorching 40-point performance in the win against the Philadelphia 76ers.
On Wednesday, the Mavs faced the 76ers again. Unfortunately, the game resulted in a loss, with Irving turning out a rather underwhelming performance. In 40 minutes of action, he notched up 23 points, six rebounds and five assists. Although he shot 8-17 from the field, his overall output was disappointing.
However, when looking at his numbers since returning from his recent ankle injury, Irving has underperformed. In four games since his outing against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Mavericks guard has only notched up one 20+ point outing.
Whether it's a slump or adjustment issue is up for speculation, but Dallas is running out of time to salvage their season.
