CHICAGO — The Mavericks entered their road game against the Bulls knowing they would be without Anthony Davis, but playing without their head coach wasn’t exactly on the bingo card.
Jason Kidd was ejected in the first quarter of Saturday’s game for expressing frustration with the inability to challenge a goaltending call, forcing associate head coach Frank Vogel to step into a familiar role.
With Vogel as the standing head coach, the Mavericks suffered a 125-108 loss to the Bulls, concluding their three-game road trip with a 1-2 finish.
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Kidd attempted to call a timeout to issue a coach’s challenge for a goaltending call that went against Mavericks guard Max Christie. The fourth-year guard blocked a layup attempt by Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu just before the ball touched the backboard, but Chicago was allowed to inbound the ball before Kidd’s intended challenge.
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“We were trying to challenge a play,” Vogel said of Kidd’s ejection. “They inbounded the ball before we could. We thought we had the right to challenge. He and Scott (Foster) got into it. That led to the ejection.”
The Mavericks (14-25) entered the game severely shorthanded without Davis, who will miss an indefinite amount of time because of ligament damage in his left hand. They were also without P.J. Washington and Brandon Williams, who did not play because of a right leg sprain and illness, respectively.
After the game, a pool report interview with crew chief Scott Foster revealed Kidd was ejected for using profanity twice.
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Kidd’s ejection was an unexpected loss, but the Mavericks had an experienced leader for the remainder of the game. Vogel brings 12 years of head coaching experience to the table, with defense as his specialty, but the Mavericks simply couldn’t get the stops needed to hold off the Bulls. Vogel is only two seasons removed from his last head coaching stop in Phoenix and said it felt comfortable.
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“Like riding a bike,” Vogel said. “Trying to get our guys charged up. Made some runs, but ultimately not enough so it’s disappointing.”
Chicago had seven players reach double scoring figures and nine of the 13 Bulls players that appeared in the game scored. The Mavericks had difficulty containing two of the Bulls point guards. Coby White led the Bulls with 22 points, while Ayo Dosunmu added 20 points off the bench.
The Bulls didn’t have difficulty scoring, shooting 51.5% from the field. They were notably successful in transition with 38 fast break points, but the same couldn’t be said for the Mavericks, who had just eight points on the break.
With Dallas lacking several pivotal rotation players, there was a natural expectation for Cooper Flagg to fill the offensive void left by Davis and the others, but the rookie finished with 11 points on just 4-of-13 shooting with five turnovers.
The Mavericks were led on offense by two-way guard Ryan Nembhard, who was re-inserted into the starting lineup and finished with 16 points and six assists. Max Christie and Klay Thompson added 10 points each.
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Those who often don’t get the chance to play received opportunities on Saturday. D’Angelo Russell, who was coming off five consecutive games without playing despite being active, clocked nearly 19 minutes and finished with eight points. Jaden Hardy also played 12 minutes and totaled 14 points.
With Vogel in as the standing head coach, Mavericks assistant Josh Broghamer was elevated to the front of the bench and joined the lead assistants on the floor for their customary huddle before addressing the team.
The Mavericks will return to Dallas for a four-game homestand starting with Monday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets. They could benefit from reinforcements. Kidd will be back on the sidelines, but it’s uncertain if Washington or Williams will be back in the lineup.
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AdvertisementRelated StoriesRead MoreKings’ Schroder draws 3-game suspension for off-court confrontation with Luka Doncic, per reportThe NBA announced that the confrontation occurred about 40 minutes after the Kings’ loss to the Lakers on Dec. 28.Watch: Mavericks coach Jason Kidd ejected in first quarter for disagreeing with officialIt’s Kidd’s first time being thrown out of a game since 2022.Mavericks teammates react to Anthony Davis’ hand injury: ‘It’s a tough blow’The Mavericks are 4-14 this season when Davis is not in the lineup.
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