Rick Carlisle Calls Mavs’ First-Half Effort ‘Embarrassing’

Dallas lost to the Raptors, 103-99 on Tuesday night after scoring just 36 points in the first half. After the game, Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle very publicly voiced his displeasure with his team’s effort. He told the media that he threatened his players with their jobs, even. Check it out, via ESPN.com:

Carlisle repeated the threat for public consumption during his postgame news conference after calling Dallas’ performance in the first half “embarrassing.”

 

“Look, if it’s going to be like that, these guys aren’t going to be Mavericks very long,” Carlisle said after his team fell to fifth place in the Western Conference with a 15-13 record. “I can promise you that.”

 

 

“Wow,” small forward Chandler Parsons said, taking a few seconds to collect his thoughts after being read Carlisle’s quote. “We’ve got to play harder. He’s going to be here at least five more years. He just signed an extension. Nothing here is unconditional. We’re paid to play hard and compete every single night. When nights like this happen, when we don’t lay it all on the line, words are going to be said like that.”

 

Added center Zaza Pachulia: “He’s a coach trying to push the right buttons. He’s been in the league for a long time and he’s done great things — winning seasons, championships. He knows what he’s doing.”

 

Dirk Nowitzki, the longtime face of the franchise whose no-trade clause guarantees he isn’t going anywhere, opted not to share his thoughts on Carlisle’s comments.

 

“I’ve got nothing to say about that,” Nowitzki said. “We fought at the end and came up short. Hopefully, we’ll have a better game tomorrow.”