Mavs’ Kyrie Irving says fighting for play-in not what he expected

PHILADELPHIA — After the Dallas Mavericks lost for the 14th time in 20 games since Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic took the court as teammates, Irving said this was far from where he expected the team to be when he arrived in Dallas almost two months ago.

Irving, speaking after Wednesday night’s 116-108 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center, said the major question he has now is what does the Mavs’ future look like?

“I think that now, again, just where we are in the season, and where other teams are positioned already, it kind of looks like a bit of a clusterf—, to be honest with you,” Irving said. “Because we’re 37-40, and we’re trying to fight to get into the play-in game. It’s not the expectations I don’t think any of us had in that locker room.”

Irving, who had 23 points, six rebounds and five assists in 40 minutes, said adjusting to being traded at midseason for the first time in his NBA career has introduced him to “a lot of newness” after his time with the Brooklyn Nets came to an abrupt end.

“I didn’t expect to ask for a trade at that point in the season,” he said. “So I wanted to finish out with Brooklyn, finish out with the season that we had going, and I didn’t get a chance to do that. So some of the goals I had previously this season had to be shifted, and I had to be more than willing, which I am, to be flexible and adaptable and live with the results, whether we make the playoffs or not.

“I just have to be at peace with where I am and which I am, and trust of the guys that I’m going to be in that war room with every single day. So, I’m appreciative of them giving me the opportunity. It’s been nothing but great here. And I’ve been at peace.”

Irving added: “So it’s been good — outside of the losses, of course. We’d like to win every game.”

Wins have been few and far between for Dallas over the past several weeks, as the Mavericks have lost five of six games to tumble all the way out of the play-in spots in the Western Conference. Since trading for Irving, the Mavericks are 9-14 — and 6-14 since he and Doncic played together for the first time on Feb. 11 in Sacramento.

The Mavs’ loss to Philadelphia, coupled with the Oklahoma City Thunder winning against the Detroit Pistons on a last-second putback by rookie Jalen Williams, now has Dallas sitting a game behind the Thunder for the 10th and final play-in spot in the West.

To make matters worse for the Mavericks (37-40), Oklahoma City…