Luka Doncic: Mavs Must Improve 'Bad' Defense 'A Lot' After Game 2 Loss to Warriors

Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic criticized the team's defense after falling 126-117 to the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Friday.

When asked what went wrong during a third quarter that saw the Warriors outscore the Mavs by 12 points, Doncic pointed to team defense and the need to improve it moving forward (beginning at the 30-second mark):

"Bad defense, that's it," Doncic said. "We've gotta concentrate on our defense these two games. Our defense has gotta improve a lot."

With Friday's Game 2 loss, the Mavericks now trail the series 2-0 and are in desperate need of a Game 3 win in Dallas.

Golden State had its way with Dallas during the second half, outscoring the Mavs 68-45.

Efficiency was the name of the game for head coach Steve Kerr's squad, as they shot 56.1 percent from the field, 50 percent from beyond the arc and 80 percent from the free-throw line, all of which were figures that topped the Mavs.

Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole all shot 50 percent or better from the field, while Kevon Looney proved almost unstoppable in the paint.

The unheralded center finished with 21 points on 10-of-14 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds in one of the most unexpected performances of the postseason thus far.

While the likes of Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber and Dorian Finney-Smith usually defend well in the paint, they had no answers for Looney.

Dallas had a 72-58 lead at halftime and seemed to be trending toward tying the series at 1-1, but the Mavs fell apart in the third quarter, scoring just 13 points and allowing Golden State to cut the deficit to two.

The Warriors then imposed their will in the fourth quarter, as their 43 points were the most in a quarter by either team Friday night. Looney's interior play never allowed Dallas to fully focus on the perimeter.

Doncic carried the Mavericks to wins at times during the first two rounds of the playoffs, but his game-high 42 points were nowhere near enough to beat the Dubs on Friday.

Dallas will need another big offensive performance from Doncic in Game 3, but if the Mavericks don't defend at a far higher level, the series may not even make it back to San Francisco.