There’s a variety of angles this story should be taking after the undermanned Mavericks played the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night. Perhaps a lively debate on whether or not Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis should have both been out together with injury management. How much did the fatigue of playing a road back-to-back factor into this fourth quarter meltdown? Or is it just the season-long struggles of finishing games that plagued the team once again? How did Trae Young finish the third quarter with 12 points yet finish the game with 25? Maybe we’d even be talking about how the Mavericks finally saved a game late after a block by Dorian Finney-Smith led to a final possession for the Mavericks to win the game or send it to overtime.
Instead, the players (and owner) are just the supporting cast in a nightmare starring the NBA referees.
The scene: The Mavericks trail 109-107, not long after a Tim Hardaway Jr. 3-pointer tied things up at 107. Hardaway…
