In their heartbreaking loss on Sunday, Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle took the blame for failing to respond to the Toronto Raptors' 30-point comeback. In their 110-107 loss, the Mavs led by as much as 30 points against the defending champions. They practically had the game won but come the fourth quarter, the Nick Nurse-led squad outscored them, 47-21.

The Mavs had one last shot to tie the game but failed. After the game, Carlisle took the blame for failing to weather the storm brought on by the Raptors.

The Mavericks are now 2-2 without Luka Doncic who's still out nursing a sprain injury. It's a noteworthy achievement, considering that their last four games were the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Raptors — all of which are legitimate title contenders.

Their performance over the last four games has caught the eye of various critics. The Mav team are not overly-reliant on Doncic as they initially thought. But rather, this version of the Mavs squad is filled with young, talented, and hungry players.

Their collapse in the final quarter is indicative of their inexperience to close out games. But one cannot discount the fact that in the last four games, they have proven that they can go toe-to-toe with the elites. And they're not even in full power.