It wasn't a great day to be a Dallas Mavericks fan on Sunday night. Luka Doncic and co.'s 111-108 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers was already tough on its face, but the manner in which they lost made it all the more excruciating.

At one point, the Mavs were up 48-21 on the visiting Lakers midway through the second quarter. Teams blow double-digit leads all the time, but a 27-point difference has been a death knell even in today's high-scoring era. Dallas became the first team who led by 27 or more points this season to eventually lose the game in 139 instances.

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With the game seemingly out of reach, the Mavs loosened their grip far too early. After a Christian Wood three-pointer gave them the 27-point lead with seven minutes and change left in the second quarter, LA closed the first half on a 26-13 run that cut the deficit to just 14 at halftime. Still a big lead, but far from insurmountable.

Luka Doncic and the Mavs are precariously perched on the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot in the West and now hold a slim half-game lead over the Golden State Warriors with the loss. Falling into the play-in tournament could bring a nightmare scenario for Dallas if they get forced to play the new and improved Lakers team that just beat them or a team that will eventually welcome an All-Star back in the Warriors, New Orleans Pelicans, or Minnesota Timberwolves.

Keeping the other teams at bay will be crucial for a Mavs team that went all-in with the Kyrie Irving trade.