Jason Kidd Calls Out Mavs After Clippers Loss; Luka Dončić Takes Blame for Slow Start

Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd ripped his team for what he described as a "passive" performance in Sunday's Game 1 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

"They were physical and we were passive," Kidd told reporters after the Clippers' 109-97 victory.

The Mavericks scored just 30 first-half points, including a dreadful eight-point performance in the second quarter. While they rebounded in the second half to make the game more competitive, the hole the team dug for the first 24 minutes was insurmountable.

Luka Dončić finished with a game-high 33 points but admonished himself for a slow start.

"I just got to stay aggressive," Dončić said. "That was my bad in the first half. I wasn't aggressive enough."

Kyrie Irving added 31 points, but the Mavs got a grand total of 34 points from the rest of the roster. P.J. Washington (10 points) was the only other Dallas player in double figures.

"It really centered around the foundational point of talking about physicality and this being the playoffs," Irving said. "A lot of guys aren't used to being here. A few young guys aren't used to being here, so they don't know what they can get away with and what the refs are going to call. I think this was a great first test for us. We obviously failed and we came out with a loss, but I think there are some things we can take into Game 2."

Making matters worse was the fact the Clippers were playing without Kawhi Leonard, who remains out with a knee injury. Leonard's status is still up in the air for Game 2, but Dallas could have put itself in strong position to advance by taking advantage of the All-Star's absence Sunday.

Instead, the Mavs put themselves in a bind they'll have to claw out of moving forward.