NBA: Mavericks loss followed by ‘Fire Nico’ chants

The atmosphere inside the American Airlines Center turned tense on Monday night as chants of “Fire Nico!” rang out from frustrated Dallas Mavericks fans during their 116-114 home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

What began as a night to celebrate rookie Cooper Flagg’s breakout performance quickly shifted into a public outcry against the team’s embattled general manager, Nico Harrison.

The chants erupted midway through the fourth quarter, when the Mavericks’ once-comfortable 13-point lead had dwindled to a single possession.

The calls for Harrison’s dismissal, already familiar at recent home games since the controversial trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, grew louder as the game slipped away.

They first broke out during P.J. Washington’s trip to the free-throw line with just over seven minutes left and echoed throughout the arena on several Dallas possessions, including in the final seconds when Washington missed a free throw that could have sent the game to overtime.

Team governor Patrick Dumont, attending his first home game since opening night, watched the collapse from his courtside seat, showing no visible reaction to the crowd’s chants.

At half-time, he was seen chatting amicably with a young fan wearing a Lakers Doncic jersey, the same fan who had publicly flipped him off during the team’s season opener.

Despite the off-court drama, there were bright spots for the Mavericks. No.1 overall pick Cooper Flagg delivered his best performance yet, scoring a career-high 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting while adding nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and a steal.

At just 18 years and 324 days old, Flagg tied LeBron James as the youngest player in NBA history to score more than 25 points in a game. His night was highlighted by a fearless drive and finish over Giannis Antetokounmpo in the final minute that briefly gave Dallas the lead.

But for all of Flagg’s promise, the tension surrounding the Mavericks’ front office continues to overshadow the team’s development.

Multiple league sources believe that it now appears to be a matter of “when, not if” Dumont decides to part ways with Harrison.

The Mavericks have now lost five of six games without Anthony Davis, the centerpiece of the controversial Doncic trade.

Davis, who has been nursing a calf strain, was expected to return for Saturday’s road game against Washington, but the medical staff advised against it out of caution.

The cautious approach comes after a similar situation last season, when Davis aggravated an injury upon returning too early, sidelining him for six weeks.