The Dallas Mavericks lost another game at home, this time to the Denver Nuggets, and it's starting to feel a lot like groundhog day. The final score: 117-113.

Next up, Salt Lake City.#MFFL | @Chime pic.twitter.com/FtwoQVDyj9

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) January 26, 2021

"We were distracted. We didn't help each other defensively. And it was very disappointing," head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game. "The guys made a great adjustment in the third quarter. But in the fourth quarter, we just didn't play well enough."

That is the story of this Mavs team this season. Slow starts, blazing mid-game runs, and difficult finishes continue to plague a team trying to vault itself into contention. As team consistency continues to falter, the only thing that remains constant is Dallas' star player contributing through big numbers.

The big stat getter:

Luka Doncic finished the game with 35 points, 11 rebounds, and 16 assists. Monday's game marked the seventh 30 point triple-double of Doncic's career. Putting him in a category with other great players like Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson.

Just look at this pass. He makes basketball look so easy.

Oh and this sweet step back:

It's safe to say Doncic was feeling it.

The 16 assists are a season-high for Doncic, as his third eye seemed open all over the floor. Though his gaudy stat line shows production, the only thing both he and the Mavs were searching for is a win.

"What can I say?" Doncic said after the game. "Today we weren't good. And sometimes you're just not going to have it."

Doncic had it down the stretch, going 4-8 with nine points and two rebounds in the fourth quarter. However, He was one of two players in the fourth to score more than one point in the quarter.

James Johnson's impactful night:

The other player to provide offensive support for Doncic in the fourth was veteran James Johnson. He finished the game with 16 points on 7-8 field goal shooting. And in the fourth, he contributed eight points while shooting 3-4 from the field.

After the game, Carlisle mentioned how important his effort was on a night where Dallas really had to battle to stay in the game.

"He battles people," He said. "I thought his effort tonight was very good. He made a few mistakes like the rest of us, but his heart was in the right place. And that was a big part of us getting back in the game and having a chance to win."

Games like this one are the reason Dallas brought in the veteran forward. He is an anchor for this team. And he provides a voice in the locker room that grounds everyone amidst the turbulence of the last seven-game stretch for the Mavs.

Third-quarter fun:

After Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray was ejected from the game, Dallas sharp-shooter Tim Hardaway Jr. found life. He scored in a bevy of ways and found room to get his shot off at impossible angles.

Hardaway Jr. scored 16 of his 19 points in the third quarter of action. And after struggling through the first two periods of the game, he finally found his groove. Yet, after the game, he said the way he played "didn't matter" because the team couldn't find a way to win.

As a team, Dallas flew around the court, disrupting plays, making Denver uncomfortable, and playing the brand of basketball it set out to play at the start of the season. Yet, the team couldn't keep up that same level of production. Finding a way to maintain high energy and production is often time half the battle in the NBA.

Looking ahead:

I feel like I am running out of things to say with this team (not really). Denver plays better than its record suggests. However, Dallas can find itself in the same boat. The teams are in identical positions when looking at them contextually. Both feature young generational players. Each team came off of an impressive bubble run that vaulted the expectations coming into the season. And both teams have underwhelmed in the first quarter of the NBA season. But again the NBA is a marathon, not a sprint.

Solving this Dallas team's biggest issues won't be easy. In fact, Both Johnson and Doncic spoke of a conversation had between the team about improving the effort going forward. Both players were unwilling to open up in regards to what was said in the conversation.

And regardless of what was said, the writing on the wall is clear for Dallas. Everyone has seen glimpses of what this team can be when it puts all its pieces together. Now, Dallas just has to find out how to keep all the pieces humming at one time. It's often easier said than done, but for as talented as Dallas is, that moment where all the pieces make sense has to be near.

"There are no excuses," Hardaway Jr. said after the game. "We just have to go out there and be better."

Feature image via Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY