The stress of a long NBA season that has hit a particularly rough patch of the schedule takes its toll on any team.
The Mavericks are no different.
After getting slammed 132-109 by Phoenix on Wednesday night – getting outscored 92-55 from the middle of the second quarter on – the Mavericks tackled some hard topics in their postgame assessment of where this team is right now.
Coach Jason Kidd mentioned the mental and physical exhaustion that has been apparent periodically in recent games. And the officiating was part of the conversation, but not exclusive to Luka Dončić’s running dialogue with the referees.
“It’s not just Luka, but our whole team feels like they’re owed a call, and we’re not,” coach Jason Kidd said. “We’re not a very good team right now, but we can become a really good team if we can focus on the little things.” 
And one of those little things – probably not so little, really – is learning how to cope with the referees.
Kidd went into a history lesson about the NBA and how the best players never had a flair for getting points across to referees, but not constantly harping at them.
“It’s a really simple answer,” Kidd said about addressing the Mavericks’ demeanor toward officiating crews. “Look at great players in this league: they paved the way on how to conduct yourself with the officials. From Kobe (Bryant) to Michael Jordan to Larry Bird . . . as teachers of this game, we have to show them the conduct that will get you the call.”
It’s all about picking and choosing your battles.
“Stars were getting calls in the fourth quarter, not after the jump ball in the first 30 seconds of the game,” he said. “The game has changed, but some things haven’t changed. Officials understand if you’re going to complain, you’re not going to get calls. That’s just the way it goes.
“If you’re going to complain, it’s only going to come back to haunt you. It might not get you in that game, but it’ll get you in another game. That’s just part of the game as a group we have to work on.”
The Mavericks have players who wear their emotions on their sleeves. That’s a good thing. That’s what brings passion to their skills on the court.
In addition to Dončić, Grant Williams is quick to engage officials about getting explanations about certain calls. And they aren’t the only ones.
But because Luka is the face of the franchise, he is under the microscope more than anybody else.
He picked up his eighth technical foul of the season and second in two games just before halftime against Phoenix.
“His focus is improved, his maturity has improved,” Kidd said. “He’s 24 years old. We’re asking him to do a lot every night. He’s always up for the challenge. Giving him that space to be that Picasso, that painter that we think he is, there’s going to be nights when he doesn’t have enough paint or he has the wrong brush. He’s human. But we all have to be better.”
All of this stems from the frustration of three consecutive losses. It’s the second time this season the Mavericks have lost three in a row. The first time, they were rolling with a 16-9 record.
Since then, they are 8-11. They have not had a four-game skid this season, something they desperately need to avoid Friday at Atlanta.
The way to start fixing things is not going to be easy. The Mavericks have scored only 110, 110 and 109 points in these three losses while allowing an average of 126.
So both ends of the floor have suffered. And when Kidd was asked about finding a defensive leader, he pointed to players like Jones, Williams, Dante Exum and others.
“We have role players who have to play at high level,” he said. “That’s just the nature of our roster. We got guys making minimums that are playing at a high level. We’ve stretched them in the first half of the season. And they’re going to make mistakes and they’re going to miss shots.
“But we’re going to keep encouraging them. But they’ve played a lot of minutes these guys. And so, we just got to stay together and keep fighting.”
Our other takeaways from the loss to Phoenix:
No staying power for physicality: The Mavericks were hitting first until the middle of the second quarter. Grant Williams was putting a hard body on Kevin Durant and flustered the Suns’ star. So were Derrick Jones Jr. and Maxi Kleber. But when foul trouble became a factor, things change. The Mavericks became the more passive team. And it was compounded when Williams was ejected early in the third quarter. Interestingly, the Mavericks were plus-5 in Williams’ 11 minutes on the floor. “When we play physical for 48 minutes, it’s tough to beat us,” Luka said. “We got to play physical, but without fouling.”
Wrong numbers: The Mavericks were outrebounded 49-33. They were even with the Suns (10-10) after the first quarter, which was the only frame they won.
Injury concerns: When Dončić grabbed his right ankle late in the first half, it was a concerning sign. He’s been fighting a myriad of injuries (he was questionable with low-back tightness on Wednesday). But the ankle is one that can be a particular nuisance for any player, especially one that relies on pushing off for so many of his unique shots. And the injuries continue to mount. Kyrie Irving missed Wednesday’s game with the sprained right thumb he suffered against Boston on Monday. Dwight Powell missed with a left eye abrasion.
X: @ESefko
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