Oct 28, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams (5) and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) in action during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Utah Jazz at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

As Luka Doncic battles efficiency issues, the Mavericks must address stagnant late-game offense to capitalize on their superstar’s talents in critical moments.

Luka Doncic scored 31 points in the Dallas Mavericks' 120-117 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, leading his team in scoring. However, he was held scoreless in the fourth quarter, including a miss on the potential game-tying bucket in the final seconds.

Close losses have become a bit of a theme for the Mavericks this season and Luka Doncic touched on that problem and some other issues during his postgame press conference, via Grant Afseth. Luka Doncic on the Mavericks' struggles in close games ...

The Dallas Mavericks have fallen short of preseason expectations, and star player Luka Doncic didn’t hold back when discussing the team’s recent struggles in critical games. The Dallas Mavericks are undeniably struggling early in the NBA regular season.

Doncic joins other Mavericks such as Dereck Lively II, PJ Washington, Maxi Kleber and Dante Exum who are also dealing with injury concerns. The Mavs were most recently defeated by the Phoenix Suns on Friday, losing by a final score of 114-113. The defeat resulted in frustration for the Mavericks as they deal with both underperformance and injuries.

The debate around Luka Doncic and his usage has existed basically since he entered the league. After a good rookie season where he shared the floor with a lot of veterans, Doncic took full reign of the Mavericks in his sophomore season and hasn’t looked back.