Mavericks sit Kyrie Irving, 4 others with playoff hopes still alive

DALLAS (AP) —Dallas is sitting Kyrie Irving and four other regulars againstChicago in a game with draft implications and with the Mavericksfacing postseason elimination if they lose.

FellowAll-Star Luka Doncic will play Friday night with the franchisepaying tribute to his home country of Slovenia. But coach JasonKidd said the 24-year-old superstar would only play the firstquarter, and suggested his season would be over after that.

The suddenswitch from the Mavericks came two days after Doncic and Irving leda rally to a 123-119 victory over Sacramento. The win kept Dallasin the mix for the final spot in the Western Conference play-intournament a year after the Mavs reached the West finals.

A day afterthat victory, Oklahoma City beat Utah, meaning the Mavs would haveto win their last two while the Thunder would have to lose toMemphis for Dallas to get the 10th seed. The Grizzlies could belocked in to the second seed in the West before the regular-seasonfinale Sunday.

“Thingschange,” Kidd said. “Understanding as an organization, they madethis decision. But we still have to be professionals, go out thereand put our best foot forward, who can play.”

Irving is outfor right foot injury recovery. The others ruled out are TimHardaway Jr. with left ankle soreness, Maxi Kleber for righthamstring injury recovery and Josh Green and Christian Wood forrest.

The Bulls arelocked into the 10th seed for the final play-in spot in the Eastand will be without Zach LaVine for left knee injury management andDeMar DeRozan and Patrick Beverley for rest. Alex Caruso will playdespite foot soreness, with coach Billy Donovan saying his minuteswould be monitored.

Dallas’decision to rest five rotation players comes with the Mavs andBulls tied for the 10th-worst record in the NBA at 38-42.

Dallas getsto keep its first-round pick if it’s in the top 10. If it is 11thor lower, it goes to the New York Knicks as part of Dallas’ tradeto acquire Kristaps Porzingis in 2019. The draft lottery next monthwill determine the final order.

Kidd said hewasn’t part of the discussion for a decision that essentially pullsthe plug on the season before the Mavs were eliminated. But thecoach said he agreed with it.

In awide-ranging discussion with reporters before the victory over theKings, owner Mark Cuban suggested the Mavs simply weren’t goodenough and took responsibility for the personnel decisions thatleft them with a losing record a year after finishing 52-30 andfourth in the West.

Dallas wassolidly in the playoff picture when it made the blockbuster tradewith Brooklyn for Irving in February, giving the Mavs two All-Starstarters for the first time in franchise history.

The big movedidn’t provide the spark the club hoped. Irving and Doncic have a5-11 record together, and the Mavs entered the Chicago game at 9-16since Irving’s debut.

“Understanding this is a situation we’re in, that the organizationhas made a decision to change,” Kidd said. “So we have to go bythat. And the guys that are playing are going to go out and try toplay to win. You’ve got to be pros. You can’t cheat the game.”