‘Guilt on his face’ – Nico Harrison’s stoic reaction to Anthony Davis hobbling off injured roasted by fans
Nico Harrison looked like a man who wanted the ground to swallow him up. The Dallas Mavericks general manager looked on as his team, which reached the NBA Finals last year, was dumped out of the postseason at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, officially closing the book on a miserable past few months. The Dallas Mavericks won’t be in the playoffsGetty The Grizzlies stormed to a 120-106 victory over the Mavericks in the final Play-In Tournament game to secure the Western Conference’s eighth seed and send the Mavs on an early vacation. Dallas never led at any point in the contest, falling into a 23-10 hole in the first quarter they never got out of. At one point, they cut the deficit to seven points during the third quarter, but that would be the closest they’d get as the Grizzlies later reclaimed their double-digit lead. Anthony Davis put up his best-ever performance for Dallas, ending the night with 40 points, but it wasn’t enough to extend his side’s season. With 8:12 left, AD awkwardly landed on his right leg after he air-balled a 3-pointer. The former Lakers star limped to the bench and put a towel over his head as ESPN cameras panned to Harrison. The Mavs GM gave a stoic side-eye and looked despondent as his team’s season went up in flames. The Mavericks had a 26-23 record at one stage in the season and were on track to reach the playoffs until Harrison made the shocking decision to trade superstar Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Davis. As the Mavericks were blown out, Harrison sat there with a glum reaction that irked an already angry Mavs fanbase even more. “This is the look of someone who just realized they traded a generational talent for a bag of chips,” one person commented online. “The guilt on his face,” added another. “The Luka Doncic trade couldn’t have gone worse for Nico Harrison. The fans hates him. The media hates him. Kyrie got hurt. They got eliminated in the play in tournament and missed the playoffs. All-Time Worst Trade in NBA History,” former NFL star Robert Griffin III posted on X. Davis limped off in the fourth quarter after airballing a 3X@whristan1 He could be seen clutching his right knee as he sat on the Mavs benchX@whristan1 Mavs GM Harrison gave a despondent look as he watched on@NBAonESPN Anthony Davis dropped an impressive performance but it wasn’t enough in the endGetty “Nico Harrison been preaching defense wins championships and the mavs just gave up 40 points in the first quarter,” one fan posted on X “Nico Harrison said ‘defense wins championships’ after trading Luka… Apparently defense doesn’t even make the playoffs,” another fan wrote. The timing of the defeat couldn’t have been much worse. Hours earlier, ESPN aired a sit-down between Malika Andrews and Doncic on NBA Today. The pair discussed a number of topics, including Harrison’s decision to meet with the media this week behind closed doors. During the interview with Doncic, Andrews read an exchange between Harrison and ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon from the closed-door meeting. Doncic said it was “sad” what Harrison was sayingX@ESPN His Lakers are storming into the postseason as the West’s No.3 seedGetty The reporter said, ‘You [Nico] didn’t believe that the team that went to the Finals last year with Luka as the centerpiece could contend and continue to contend for championships.’ And Nico Harrison said, ‘I’ll say this again, defense wins championships.’” “It’s just sad, the way he’s talking right now,” Doncic replied. “I never said anything bad about him. And I just want to move on. The fans, my ex-teammates, I’ll always keep at heart. It’s time to move on from there.” In Harrison’s defence, the Mavs have been ravaged by injuries this season. Davis suffered a strained left adductor in his Dallas debut that caused him to be sidelined for a week. Kyrie Irving‘s campaign ended in March after he tore his ACL. AD’s time in Dallas has been an unmitigated disaster so far, through virtually no fault of his own. He’s been put in an impossible position where the Mavs fanbase is still reeling from losing a generational star and won’t relent until Harrison is fired. Still, Davis exuded a calm persona following the crushing loss to Memphis. “I’m just very appreciative that I get to play the game of basketball. Appreciative to Dallas, the fan base and my teammates for accepting me and welcoming me with open arms, given the situation,” he said. “It’s part of basketball. You can’t control what goes on. The injury happened and I tried to do everything I could to get back on the floor to finish the season and try to carry us into the playoffs. I’m just appreciative.”
Nico Harrison looked like a man who wanted the ground to swallow him up.
The Dallas Mavericks general manager looked on as his team, which reached the NBA Finals last year, was dumped out of the postseason at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, officially closing the book on a miserable past few months.
The Grizzlies stormed to a 120-106 victory over the Mavericks in the final Play-In Tournament game to secure the Western Conference’s eighth seed and send the Mavs on an early vacation.
Dallas never led at any point in the contest, falling into a 23-10 hole in the first quarter they never got out of.
At one point, they cut the deficit to seven points during the third quarter, but that would be the closest they’d get as the Grizzlies later reclaimed their double-digit lead.
Anthony Davis put up his best-ever performance for Dallas, ending the night with 40 points, but it wasn’t enough to extend his side’s season.
With 8:12 left, AD awkwardly landed on his right leg after he air-balled a 3-pointer.
The former Lakers star limped to the bench and put a towel over his head as ESPN cameras panned to Harrison.
The Mavs GM gave a stoic side-eye and looked despondent as his team’s season went up in flames.
The Mavericks had a 26-23 record at one stage in the season and were on track to reach the playoffs until Harrison made the shocking decision to trade superstar Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Davis.
As the Mavericks were blown out, Harrison sat there with a glum reaction that irked an already angry Mavs fanbase even more.
“This is the look of someone who just realized they traded a generational talent for a bag of chips,” one person commented online.
“The guilt on his face,” added another.
“The Luka Doncic trade couldn’t have gone worse for Nico Harrison. The fans hates him. The media hates him. Kyrie got hurt. They got eliminated in the play in tournament and missed the playoffs. All-Time Worst Trade in NBA History,” former NFL star Robert Griffin III posted on X.
“Nico Harrison been preaching defense wins championships and the mavs just gave up 40 points in the first quarter,” one fan posted on X
“Nico Harrison said ‘defense wins championships’ after trading Luka… Apparently defense doesn’t even make the playoffs,” another fan wrote.
The timing of the defeat couldn’t have been much worse.
Hours earlier, ESPN aired a sit-down between Malika Andrews and Doncic on NBA Today.
The pair discussed a number of topics, including Harrison’s decision to meet with the media this week behind closed doors.
During the interview with Doncic, Andrews read an exchange between Harrison and ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon from the closed-door meeting.
The reporter said, ‘You [Nico] didn’t believe that the team that went to the Finals last year with Luka as the centerpiece could contend and continue to contend for championships.’ And Nico Harrison said, ‘I’ll say this again, defense wins championships.’”
“It’s just sad, the way he’s talking right now,” Doncic replied. “I never said anything bad about him. And I just want to move on. The fans, my ex-teammates, I’ll always keep at heart. It’s time to move on from there.”
In Harrison’s defence, the Mavs have been ravaged by injuries this season.
Davis suffered a strained left adductor in his Dallas debut that caused him to be sidelined for a week.
Kyrie Irving‘s campaign ended in March after he tore his ACL.
AD’s time in Dallas has been an unmitigated disaster so far, through virtually no fault of his own.
He’s been put in an impossible position where the Mavs fanbase is still reeling from losing a generational star and won’t relent until Harrison is fired.
Still, Davis exuded a calm persona following the crushing loss to Memphis.
“I’m just very appreciative that I get to play the game of basketball. Appreciative to Dallas, the fan base and my teammates for accepting me and welcoming me with open arms, given the situation,” he said.
“It’s part of basketball. You can’t control what goes on. The injury happened and I tried to do everything I could to get back on the floor to finish the season and try to carry us into the playoffs. I’m just appreciative.”
