Luka Doncic Discusses Mavericks' 'Mentality', 'Toughness' After Loss to Lakers

The Dallas Mavericks left Staples Center on Friday with a 138-115 defeat to the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers, and Mavs star guard Luka Doncic called out the effort for what it was.

"I think it's everything about mentality and toughness," Doncic told reporters. "It's going to mental. If somebody's rebounding like that, you've just got to box them out no matter what. We've got to work on it, and we've just got to get better."

Dallas was flat-out owned by L.A.'s defense. The Lakers out-rebounded the the Mavs 53-27 and outscored them 35-0 in second-chance points.

According to Lakers PR (h/t Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News), L.A. was the first team since 1996-97 to score 35-plus second-chance points and hold its opponent to zero. 

Kristaps Porzingis' eventual return from his knee injury should help stabilize a Dallas offense in desperate need of some balance, but an 0-2 start to the 2020-21 campaign is surely not what the expected Western Conference contenders were hoping for.