Mavericks suffer third-straight preseason loss to Real Madrid

The Dallas Mavericks opened up the preseason on October 5 and 7 with two matchups against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Abu Dhabi.

Both of those games resulted in losses for Dallas, and they looked to get back on track on Tuesday in Madrid.

This was a matchup that Luka Doncic held close to his heart, as Real Madrid is the team that he grew up playing for, but due to a calf injury, he only got to play for five minutes.

Mavericks suffer third-straight preseason loss to Real Madrid

Doncic was firing all cylinders while in the game and put on a show for the fans that were in attendance. He finished with nine points (all 3-pointers) and one assist.

Kyrie Irving was also out with a groin injury. Despite strong showings from Dante Exum, Dereck Lively II, and Tim Hardaway Jr., the Mavs couldn't hold on. Exum continued to display his craftiness and facilitating, but it wasn't enough to hold off Real Madrid.

The Mavs entered the fourth quarter with a nine-point lead, but Real Madrid came roaring back and won 127-124. Former Mavericks point guard Facundo Campazzo hit the dagger for Real Madrid, giving them a seven-point lead with ten seconds remaining.

Some fans may consider this loss as embarrassing, as Real Madrid isn't an NBA team, but Dallas was trying all sorts of lineups in this game, and Irving sat while Doncic barely played. This isn't an excuse for the loss, but there were some encouraging takeaways from this game.

Lively II continues to show that he should be this team's starting center, Hardaway Jr. scored great in the first half, and Grant Williams had a solid all-around game. This game is nothing to be discouraged about, as Dallas ended the game with all bench players.

We'll have you covered with all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks this season, so stay tuned.