DALLAS -- ONCE AGAIN, the Dallas Mavericks changed plans during a bizarre final week of what Luka Doncic described as "a very disappointing season."
A few days after declaring he'd play so long as the Mavs had even the slimmest of postseason hopes, the franchise announced Doncic would sit out after playing the first quarter in Friday night's home game against the Chicago Bulls, joining co-star Kyrie Irving and four other healthy core players on the bench.
Doncic had scored 11 points in the first quarter, chuckling with fellow European and foe Nikola Vucevic on several occasions, neither taking a game both franchises preferred to lose too seriously despite the fact that a loss would eliminate the Mavs from play-in contention.