Luka Doncic says he needs to help Kyrie Irving more after Mavs' loss - ESPN

DALLAS — Kyrie Irving's scoring brilliance allowed the Mavericks to rally from a 31-point deficit in Sunday's Game 4, but Luka Doncic blamed himself for the Clippers escaping with a series-evening 116-111 victory.

Irving scored all 40 of his points after Los Angeles went up 31 midway through the second quarter, including an acrobatic layup over three Clippers defenders to give the Mavs the lead with 2:15 remaining.

But Doncic struggled by his MVP-candidate standards while dealing with soreness in his right knee that caused him to be listed as questionable. He finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but he shot poorly (10-of-24 from the floor, 1-of-8 from 3-point range) and was frequently exploited on the defensive end.

«I just got to help him more,» Doncic said of Irving. «I feel like I'm letting him down, so I got to be there. I got to help him more. He's given everything that he has, and he's been amazing for us the whole series.»

Irving is averaging 28.8 points while shooting 51.3% from the floor and 48.5% from 3-point range. Doncic is averaging 29.0 points and has struggled to find his touch against the Clippers, shooting 38.6% from the floor and 26.5% from 3-point range in the series.

Doncic has dealt with stiffness and soreness in his right knee since injuring it during the first quarter of Friday's Game 3 win. It has affected his ability to move laterally and create separation off the dribble and on his stepback jumper.

«It's hurting obviously, but it shouldn't be an excuse, man,» said Doncic, who played 45 minutes Sunday. «Just came out and a little sloppy, so I gotta be way better than that.»

Doncic, who has taken immense pride in his drastically improved individual defense this season, was a