"Rick Carlisle started his postgame news conference by apologizing for kicking the basketball into the stands during the fourth quarter of Wednesday's game against Oklahoma City.

But the Dallas Mavericks' coach stopped short of apologizing for the way the Mavs played in the second half against the Thunder.

In a game that took on an aggressive, playoff-type overtone, the Mavs made just eight field goals in the second half and suffered a 95-86 loss to the Thunder at American Airlines Center. The action was so maddening that Carlisle received his first technical at the 11:33 mark of the fourth quarter for arguing a call, then received his second less than two minutes later."