Amar'e Stoudemire has described the Dallas Mavericks' form in the NBA as "unacceptable" following their defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Since the forward signed for the Mavericks during the All-Star break, the team have won just five of their 11 games, leaving them seventh in the Western Conference.
The 32-year-old told ESPN: "I came here to win, and we're [4.5] games out of being out of the playoffs, which is unacceptable. This is something we can't accept. We've got to find a way to refocus. We've got to key into the details of the game of basketball.
"We can't cheat the game. We can't screw around in games and practices and joke around all the time and figure we're going to win games. This is the pros. It's the highest level of basketball. We've got to act that way.
"We've got to pay more attention to detail. We can't be making minor mistakes. We made mistakes that second-year players or rookie players make in this league. We're a veteran team. Guys are 13, 14, 16 years in this league. We should know better than that."
Stoudemire, who has been in the league since 2009, ended a five-year stay with the Knicks in order to join Dallas.
Sian Cowper
