Friday night was a bittersweet one for Dallas Mavericks fans, as they saw their beloved team take a calculated fall to the Chicago Bulls. But it was a tumble they had to take, in a match where Kyrie Irving and other key Mavs players sat out. Sadly, it was a 115-112 home loss that dashed the Mavs’ play-in contention dreams.

This precautionary move wasn’t out of the blue, as the Mavs announced that Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green, Maxi Kleber, and Christian Wood would all sit out due to a combination of injury recovery and rest. And with the Mavs tying with the Bulls for the 10th-best lottery odds, they knew what they were doing.

Coach Jason Kidd was fully aware of the sacrifice being made, saying that the guys that were playing were trying to win, even as some might call this a white flag move. “We’re trying to build a championship team,” Kidd said. “With this decision, this is maybe a step back. But hopefully, it leads to going forward.”

And while fans may be bummed to see All-Star guard Luka Doncic take an early exit in the second quarter, Kidd and Mavs governor Mark Cuban had the best interests of the team in mind. Cuban explained that although fans wanted the team to keep fighting, the smart strategy was to protect the lottery position.

Don’t worry, Mavericks fans – even if Friday’s game was a tough pill to swallow, it’s all part of the game plan. Like Kidd said, sometimes tough decisions need to be made in the journey towards that elusive championship. So keep your heads held high, and your fingers crossed for some better luck in the draft lottery!