Rick Carlisle Likens Mavs’ ‘Abominable’ Start To A Donald Trump Debate

Whoever said “sports and politics don’t mix” didn’t pass along that memo to Rick Carlisle.

The Dallas Mavericks coach wasn’t pleased with his players Wednesday night after watching them stumble into an early 18-2 hole against the Houston Rockets in their final preseason game. Carlisle apparently is up on his current events, because when asked after the game about Dallas’ rough start, he made an interesting analogy.

As Carlisle’s Mavs slugged through the first quarter in Dallas, Republican Donald Trump was squaring off against Democrat Hillary Clinton about 1,200 miles away in Las Vegas in the candidates’ final U.S. presidential debate, so this is a pretty timely comment.

Of course, debate performances usually are subjective depending on your political views, but it looks like we know where Carlisle stands. His boss certainly would approve of that stance, as Mavs owner Mark Cuban has been staunchly opposed to Trump throughout the election cycle.

Carlisle appeared to side with the majority, as an initial CNN/ORC poll had Clinton winning the debate by a 13-point margin. Dallas wasn’t as lucky, though, falling to Houston by 15 points in a 106-91 defeat.

Thumbnail photo via Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports Images