Luka Dončić on Mavs Blowing 27-Point Lead vs. Lakers: 'We Just Relaxed a Little Bit'

During an NBA season in which no lead—no matter how big—is safe, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić wishes his team would've kept their foot on the gas a little more during their 111-108 loss to the Lakers on Sunday.

Dallas led by as many as 27 points, but a flurry by the Lakers in the third and fourth quarters saw that lead dwindle and eventually evaporate. It's Dallas' third loss in four games since Dončić and the newly acquired Kyrie Irving have played together.

When asked if disagreements with the refs caused the second-half collapse, Dončić instead summed it up to a lack of urgency.

"You can say that, but we still had a big lead," he said after the game. "Sometimes you're going to lose it, but I think we just relaxed a little bit, and we've got to work on that."

Dallas went into halftime up 61-47 but was ultimately outscored 64-47 over the final two quarters as the Lakers' stars came alive. Four of Los Angeles' starters finished with double-digit scoring, led by a titanic 30-point, 15-rebound performance by Anthony Davis.

Meanwhile, Dončić (26) and Irving (21) were the only starters to score more than six points for Dallas.

Although he carried his team for several stretches of the game, it was far from a signature performance from Dončić, who shot 10-of-22 from the field and had six turnovers. He also had the game's key turnover with 15.1 seconds remaining, down just three points.

The Mavericks now fall 32-30 and are in danger of slipping into the play-in slots despite having Dončić, who is the league's leading scorer at 33.2 points per game. They sit just a half-game ahead of the seven-seed Warriors, who have won two straight and are awaiting the return of Stephen Curry.