Nico Harrison watched his NBA career end in real time Friday night, and Giannis Antetokounmpo was the reason.
Heading into half-time, the Mavericks held a close 57–53 lead over the Bucks. After a sputtering start to the season, they needed this one to go their way.
The already struggling Dallas Mavericks lost a close one at home, 116-114. And through it all, Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont was sitting courtside watching Giannis systematically destroy Dallas' defense possession after possession.
The decision to fire Harrison came the very next day.
Giannis might’ve just cost Nico Harrison his job
Up against the No. 1 pick in Cooper Flagg, the Greek Freak finished with 30 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, while the Mavericks dropped to 3-8 on the season.
It was Ryan Rollins who hit the go-ahead driving layup with 17 seconds to spare to put away the Mavericks for good in a game that saw the Bucks rally all the way back from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Flagg finished with a career-high 26 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals while shooting an efficient 60 percent from the field.
But none of the Mavericks could stop Giannis, who made Dallas look helpless every time he touched the ball. For a franchise that built its identity on defense after its 2024 Finals run, getting torched like this was the ultimate indictment.
What happened to defense wins championships? That was Dallas' entire philosophy in this post-Luka Doncic era. Harrisson has said as much in justifying his sudden trade. Their strategy was supposed to be to lock down opponents, grind out wins, and rely on your defensive system to carry you through tough stretches.
We all know by now how Harrison built (or really, gutted) this roster. He assembled the pieces that were supposed to complement Luka, and then suddenly pivoted and traded him instead for a worse and older player. So it was no surprise that even against Giannis and the Bucks, Mavericks fans were still up in arms and chanting for Harrison's firing.
The Mavericks had zero answers when Milwaukee's best player decided to take over. There were no scheme adjustments and no personnel changes. Giannis did whatever he wanted.
Dumont didn't need to see anything else. One game of watching his roster get dominated by a single player was apparently enough to make the decision. When your team's entire identity gets shredded that thoroughly with ownership watching from courtside, somebody's losing their job.
The Mavericks brass had no doubt been facing pressure already long before this game. But perhaps the straw that finally broke the camel's back...was a three-pointer by Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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