VIDEO QUOTEBOARD: "I don't think we're a playoff team"

It was a somber locker room after the Mavs let yet another lead slip away last night at AAC. The Mavs' loss to the Clippers marks three straight home losses. It was certainly a fun game against an opponent that has had a lot of success in the Western Conference thus far, but the focus postgame was on lost opportunities.

Let's go to the quotes...

Rick Carlisle

Rick Carlisle postgame comments after loss to Clippers, 1.3.14 (via Mavs Moneyball)

On the end of the game...

We gave up a 16-2 run to end the game. As hard as we worked to get the lead back up to 7 in the fourth, we just gave it up too easy. Defensively, they went right through us and offensively, without getting stops, the shots got harder. It's on every one of us, coaches and players, and it's very disappointing because it was an opportunity lost.

On defending the home court...

Well you have to be able to play. You have to get stops, and they are an aggressive team. Playing without fouling is something we have to do better as a team. It's hard to win when you give up 38 free throws. We only got 14 and you have to make that up with shot making and in other areas too. That is not how this game is won. The game is won by being balanced on both ends and being able to get stops as a team.

On whether Chris Paul's injury affected the game plan...

No, it wasn't a problem. The problem was we gave up a 16-2 run at the end of the game. They are a good team. They have won some games without Chris Paul when he was out and they are very capable. But when you build a lead you can't just allow it to go away like that.

Monta Ellis

On the game overall...

Well I'm frustrated. I thought we had a chance down the stretch. They went on 14 or 16-4 run in the end and we can't have that.

On what made the difference in the game...

I just think Blake [Griffin] and DeAndre [Jordan] they just killed us on the boards. I think both of them had 20 some and 15. They've got those two big guys and I know it's a load, but we've got to do a better job. That was a tough one I thought we had a good chance of winning it. Even in the second half we started out with a lot of aggression and they made their run and they won the ball game.

On why his shots weren't falling...

They changed their defense. They did what they wanted to do basically get the ball out of my hands and make other guys make shots. Dirk had a great game, but at the end of the day we've got to do better. We had a lot of open shots that we usually make, can't do nothing about it, but put this behind us and get better in practice and get ready for Sunday.

Brandan Wright

On whether it was a missed opportunity with Chris Paul out...

The way these guys were playing, it didn't matter which of them was out there, they both had it going tonight. We didn't have an answer for them. [Collison] did what he wanted to do, come back against his old team, trying to prove something. He played a great game

On three straight home losses...

Especially with veteran teams, on the road you get more focused because you know you've got to bring it; it's gonna be a tough environment. At home you get kind of lax, it's just a natural instinct...but we've gotta pick it up. We're still playing well at home, we've just gotta finish it out with two wins.

Dirk Nowitzki

On the disappointing finish...

It's a game we can't lose...Chris Paul out, we didn't take advantage enough, just defensively we weren't good down the stretch. We tried to mix it up with some man, some zone, but gave up some shots, gave up some dunks...look at the numbers, we scored 112 and shot over 50%. There's no way we should have lost that game.

On his ankle...

Felt good...trotted out before the game, got my ankle taped, got some treatment, got some shots up, and felt fine. I felt like I was able to do a lot more than in the Washington game where it was pretty painful, but today it felt a lot better.

On blowing leads...

The way we let these games slip away, I don't think we're a playoff team. We've gotta win those games, we should be able to find a way to get some stops and protect the home court...this is another one we've got to have; we can't afford to give games away.

On the Clippers' bigs...

They're good...Blake was making all his free throws, DeAndre was big tonight...they're a handful. That's why we played some zone, to have some bigger guys around the rim. But still gotta do better.

On fixing blown leads...

We were decent on the road, got some stops, held teams to 40%. We know that's not going to happen every night, especially against the good offensive teams in the West...we knew coming into this season we were going to be challenged on rebounding and defense, and we've got to try harder... we'll look at some film [tomorrow] and see what we can do better.

On missed shots at the end of the game...

On the first one I got fouled again. I don't know how many times I've gotta say it. The refs keep missing [it]. The second I was probably just thinking too much...it was definitely my bad. The first I got fouled.

On Collison versus CP3...

Well, CP3 is obviously the best point guard this league has...it was a tough play, I was actually right there and he said he heard it pop so I knew it wasn't good at all. It's been tough with all the injuries to great players this season, and I don't know why that is...but Collison to me was the key to this game. He played well, he played within himself, got to the basket some. If you look at the numbers, obviously DeAndre had a lot, and Blake, you can live with that, but you can't give up 22 to Collison. So I thought he was the difference tonight.