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The Dallas Mavericks lost their second straight game at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers, this time by just two points, and Luka Doncic blamed himself for the tough road loss. The wild ending between the Cavs and Mavs ended with a 70-foot buzzer-beater by Max Struss that the five-time NBA All-Star felt he could have stopped it from happening.
With 8.3 seconds remaining on the clock, the Mavericks managed to force a turnover. Luka Doncic executed a bounce pass assist to PJ Washington in the paint, leaving only three seconds on the clock and the Mavs holding a mere one-point lead.
Max Struss was tasked to inbound the ball and gave it to Evan Mobley. Requesting the ball again, Struss took a shot from 70 feet away with Doncic defending him, and miraculously, the ball swished through the net.
After the game, Doncic was asked by the media about Struss' shot and he felt he could have done more on defense:
"Incredible shot. I have nothing much to say. Max hurt us in the 4th quarter a lot, but that was an incredible shot, man." Doncic said. "That was my fault. I should have pressed up more. I was the first one, so that was my bad."
Luka Doncic and Dallas Mavericks have only won once in 3 games since NBA All-Star Weekend
Following the NBA All-Star Weekend, the Dallas Mavericks have suffered consecutive losses to the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers in the span of three games, following a promising start marked by a victory over the Phoenix Suns.
The Mavs (33-25) are in a tough position as the eighth-best team in the NBA Western Conference and are on pace to be in an NBA Play-In Tournament spot. This is a drop-off as the team was once among the top four teams in the West early into the 2023-24 season.
Against the Cavs, Luka Doncic dominated with 45 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds but the team ended with a loss. On the other side, Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
The Dallas Mavericks have a chance to bounce back with two more road games on their schedule against the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics on Feb. 28 and March 1, respectively. They return to the American Airlines Center on March 3 to host the Philadelphia 76ers.
