Luka Doncic Says 'I Gotta Be Better' After Mavericks Blown out by Warriors in Game 1

After the Dallas Mavericks were blown out 112-87 in Wednesday's Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors, Luka Doncic shouldered the blame for the loss.

"I gotta be better, that's not me," Doncic told reporters. "I gotta be better for the whole group."

Doncic finished with a team-high 20 points in the loss, but he shot 6-of-18 from the field and 3-of-10 from three-point land. He was held to just two points in the second half, and he totaled seven turnovers.

The Warriors defense completely shut down the Mavericks. Dallas shot just 36.0 percent from the field and 11-for-48 (22.9 percent) from beyond the arc. Golden State also won the rebounding battle 51-35.

The letdown in Wednesday's contest could be attributed to the Mavericks' emotional seven-game series against the Phoenix Suns in the previous round. Dallas pulled off the upset of the 2022 postseason by blowing out the top-seeded Suns on the road in Game 7 on Sunday to advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 11 years.

The Warriors had a few extra days of rest since closing out their series against the Memphis Grizzlies, and they took advantage of the Mavs' sluggish play to cruise to an easy win on Wednesday. Dallas has to come out with better energy in Friday's Game 2 if it hopes to avoid falling into a 2-0 hole.