Avery Johnson talked openly on Monday about the possibility of being fired and on whether or not the Mavericks are still in his corner, according to the Dallas Morning News.

"Overall, these men have been very loyal to me," Johnson said. "It's a tough spot for us. Sometimes, we haven't played our best basketball. Maybe another team at that particular time was just a better team. But it's not because the men don't listen or don't try."

"This is a team that hasn't been together for a while. We've tried to incorporate a very tough situation. And we just haven't had the type of carryover like we want," he added.

The Mavericks have had problems on the road all season and will need to win in New Orleans on Tuesday night in order to keep their title hopes alive.