Rick Carlisle rips into the Dallas Mavericks following loss

The Mavericks lost to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, and couldn’t close the game after coming back from a first half deficit.

Rick Carlisle was not pleased after the Dallas Mavericks seesaw loss to the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, and he didn’t keep his emotions to himself.

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After finding themselves down 15 points at halftime, the Mavs rallied and took a 6 point lead as the game came to a close. But a three pointer by Archie Goodwin gave the Suns their final lead, and the Mavericks fell to 44-27 on the season.

Carlisle aired his grievances after the game.

From the Dallas Morning News:

"“The first half, we were a no-show as a team — coaches, players, everybody,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “It was an embarrassment, flat out. The second half, we got angry and played harder, which we have to do all the time. But we made too many mistakes.“The basketball gods are going to get you when you don’t show up and play for 24 minutes, and that’s what happened.”"

Maybe sacrificing Chandler Parsons and a ewe at an altar will appease the basketball gods, bringing a good harvest come playoff time.

A large part of the loss was the play of shooting guard Monta Ellis, who went 4-22 from the field for the game and finished with 11 points. Ellis took eight shots in the fourth quarter and made as many as Carlisle did from the bench.

While Ellis’ poor shooting no doubt nosedived the Mavericks’ chances in the game, Rick Carlisle denied that was the root of the team’s struggles.

"“This is not a Monta Ellis shooting problem,” Carlisle said. “This is a Dallas Mavericks, hard-play problem. We don’t play hard all the time, all right. And that’s the problem. And it’s pretty clear. We got to be a more together team. And I believe we can do it. We did it in the second half.”"

While its easy to imagine the basketball gods smote Carlisle and the Mavericks for playing Raymond Felton, the head coach is more than likely correct believing the problem lies in cohesive play.

Defensively, the Mavericks are one of the worst teams in the NBA, and without center Tyson Chandler gluing a defense together all by himself the Mavs would be absolutely hopeless. On a night like Sunday when the offense isn’t working, the team needs to rely on some sustainable defense.

If Dallas hopes to win a first round series when the playoffs roll around, a change will have to come.

[H/T: Dallas Morning News]

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