The Dallas Mavericks fell 122-120 to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night, dropping to 5-5 overall and 1-4 in clutch situations. Once again the Mavericks had the lead with a minute left, but lost in regulation despite an excellent performance from Kyrie Irving. Nikola Jokic had an excellent performance himself, finishing with a ridiculous 37 points, 18 rebounds and 15 assists, giving the fans an entertaining battle.

But the same issues plagued the Mavericks, and they will likely continue until they get back to full strength. Now sitting at .500 with Klay Thompson’s return to the Bay Area on Tuesday, the Mavericks need to start finding some answers.

Here are three takeaways from Dallas’ loss to the Nuggets.

READ MORE: Mavericks fall to Nuggets 122-120 despite Kyrie Irving’s 43 points

Jason Kidd’s rotations will always be questioned, but Quentin Grimes not getting minutes as a solid defender is a curious decision. Denver lit up the Mavs from three-point range, finishing 14/29, and having another perimeter defender could have helped a lot. Instead, Olivier-Maxence Prosper played and was -13 in just eight minutes.

This isn’t an overreaction to this game, although Kyrie’s 43 points were incredible. But every time the Mavs needed a bucket, Kyrie Irving was the one trying to answer the bell. Luka Doncic has struggled with his efficiency this year, especially since his third season

The Dallas Mavericks had a two-point lead with just over a minute left, and their play call was a clearout by Luka Doncic, who then hit a controversial three. When it goes in, it’s an incredible shot, but it’s terrible play design. There’s no movement off the ball, no screens to try to get into the paint after the Mavs scored 62 points in the paint in this game. Then, with a few seconds left, Dallas runs in to Kyrie Irving, who tries to shoot over the top and misses. There needs to be better game designs when playing against talented teams like the Nuggets, and this just isn’t good enough.

READ MORE: Luka Doncic Goes Viral After Obvious Flop in Mavericks-Suns Game

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