The Blazers' 'Tough Night' Results In 40-Point Loss To Luka Doncic And The Mavericks

Nothing went right for Portland on Sunday night as Luka Doncic and Dallas romped to a blowout victory.

There wasn't a certain portion of the game or single statistical factor that loomed largest in the Trail Blazers' 132-92 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

Portland shot 38.2 percent from the field; Dallas shot 55.8 percent. The Blazers were out-rebounded 44-24. The Mavericks outscored them 57-27 from beyond the arc. 

Dallas won the second quarter 38-24, and turned a double-digit lead into a full-scale blowout by winning the third quarter 38-15. If Rick Carlisle hadn't pulled his horses early, Portland very well might have lost this game by 50 points. 

"Just a bad night," Damian Lillard said afterward. "Tough night."

In a matchup rife with MVP implications, Luka Doncic made a statement while Lillard fell flat. 

The Mavericks' franchise player was spectacularly dominant on Sunday, scoring 37 points on 18 field goal attempts and going 8-of-9 from three in just 29 minutes of play. He drained four straight threes in the third quarter alone, a series of off-dribble tries so tough that even a smiling Doncic seemed surprised after the last one fell through.

Lillard, on the other hand, needed 16 shots to score 19 points, misfiring on all seven of his three-point attempts. His supporting cast was nearly as toothless from the beyond the arc, too.

"Anytime me, C.J. and 'Melo go 0-of-16 from three we're not gonna have much of a chance, especially when the other team is shooting the way they did," Lillard said.

It's a major testament to Lillard's sweeping impact that Portland was able to avoid similarly dispiriting losses before McCollum returned to the lineup. 

Mistakes from Terry Stotts' team contributed plenty to Dallas' blowout romp, but nights like Sunday's are inevitable in the NBA, and have proven especially prevalent this season as a relentless schedule and COVID complications wreak havoc across the league. The Mavericks, mind you, have already lost by 51 points to the LA Clippers and 31 points to the Golden State Warriors.

One game counts the same in the standings regardless of the final score. The Blazers get the chance to wash away their worst effort of the season on Tuesday against the Brooklyn Nets. 

READ MORE: The Trail Blazers' Defensive Execution Is Still A Major Work In Progress