At the start of January, the Dallas Mavericks were flying high in the midst of a seven-game winning streak.
Things were looking great for the Mavs and the idea of them returning to the Western Conference Finals didn’t feel far-fetched.
Since that win streak ended on January 5, the Mavericks have stumbled into another rough patch.
They have lost six of their last nine games, including one against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.
Luka Doncic did not appreciate this fan slapping his back after the Mavs' loss to the Clippers 😳 pic.twitter.com/wFPVZXnmO3
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) January 23, 2023
At the end of that 112-98 defeat, Luka Doncic made his way to the locker room, looking troubled.
Someone in the stands gave him a pat on the back and Doncic appeared perturbed and upset by this, looking to the officials as if he was seemingly asking for the man to be kicked out.
The entire incident sums up Doncic’s mindset: he is not happy right now.
The Mavericks are the 5th team in the West but at 25-23, they are barely hanging onto that position.
Other squads like the Clippers, Phoenix Suns, and Minnesota Timberwolves, are hot on their heels.
In fact, the 12th-place Los Angeles Lakers are at 22-25, which means they are only a few victories away from overtaking the Mavericks.
In other words, the Western Conference is tight and no team has much leeway when it comes to defeats.
In the week ahead, the Mavericks are going to face off against the Washington Wizards, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, and Detroit Pistons.
There is a good chance of them securing at least a couple of victories with that schedule.
Does that mean we will see Doncic smiling a lot more soon?
NEXT: 2 Things Luka Doncic Still Needs To Improve This Season