Luka Doncic needs more help than supporting cast can give him against deep Celtics

Doncic scored 23 of the Mavericks' 51 first-half points and was the only Dallas player to record more than 20 points on Sunday. Aside from P.J. Washington (6-of-13), who finished with 17 points, the rest of the team shot just 20-of-46 for 49 points. 

Conversely, the Celtics showcased their incredible depth on a night when Jayson Tatum wasn't at his best. 

Tatum finished with 18 points but shot just 6-of-22 from the field and 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. But, Jrue Holiday (26 points), Jaylen Brown (21 points) and Derrick White (18 points) stepped up, combining to go 25-of-44 from the floor and 7-of-19 from three-point range. 

Perhaps "Luka ball" doesn't work with this group. After all, Doncic shot the ball 21 times. However, that argument doesn't hold much water, considering he still led the team with 11 assists while the rest of the Mavericks had 10 overall. 

Usually, the simplest answer is the best one. In the case of the Mavericks, they don't have enough to compete with the various ways the Celtics can beat you, even if Doncic plays Superman.