Mavs booed as Jason Kidd calls out effort; Luka Doncic admits frustrations

DALLAS — The home crowd loudly booed at the American Airlines Center during a timeout midway through the third quarter Friday night, when the Dallas Mavericks trailed the Charlotte Hornets by 18 points.

«We probably should have been booed in the first quarter,» Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said after a 117-109 loss to an undermanned Charlotte team that dropped Dallas (36-38) to 11th place in the Western Conference standings, a spot out of the play-in scenario.

Kidd described the Mavs' effort as «awful» and «dog s---» in the first quarter, when the 24-51 Hornets scored 37 points despite missing three starters and playing on the second night of a back-to-back.

«The interest level wasn't high,» Kidd said. «It was just disappointing.»

Dallas entered the game as a 16-point favorite, making this the biggest upset in the NBA this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The Mavs' only lead of the game occurred after Luka Doncic drove for a floater after the opening possession. The Hornets led by as many as 21 points before Dallas rallied in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to one with 8:30 remaining, only for Charlotte to immediately respond with a 10-0 run.

Dallas is 7-12 since All-Star guard Kyrie Irving joined the team following a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets that Mavs management hoped would boost their chances to contend this season. That includes 3-7 when Irving and Doncic, who have both dealt with nagging injuries, are in the starting lineup together.

«We got to fight hard, play harder,» said Doncic, who had 34 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in his second outing since returning from a five-game absence due to a left thigh strain. «That's about it. We got to show we care and it starts with me