Dallas superstar takes blame for Mavericks struggles but won't end season

Luka Doncic has taken responsibility for the Dallas Mavericks ' crumbling regular NBA season, where they sit 11th in the Western Conference after losing seven of their past eight games, while also issuing a defiant message with the team’s season hanging by a thread.

The 37-42 Mavs are one game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Western Conference's final play-in spot. However, the Thunder own the tiebreaker over the Mavericks, meaning that Dallas must win two more games than Oklahoma City in the final week of the season to progress.

Doncic has taken responsibility for the Mavericks’ collapsing season but also admitted fatigue hasn’t helped his case. The 24-year-old is a regular for the Mavs and the Slovenian national team, and has also taken added offensive responsibility this season following Jalen Brunson's departure in free agency.