Dirk on Mavericks' embarrassing loss to Pacers: 'Horrific, awful'

The Dallas Mavericks weren't mincing words after their surprising home loss to the shorthanded Indiana Pacers Monday.

"There's no way around it - this is an embarrassing loss," Chandler Parsons said, as reported by ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "There is no excuse for this. We have to come out and play harder." 

Dirk Nowitzki took it a step further.

"A horrible loss," Nowitzki said. "Horrific. Awful. I can't find any more words."

The Pacers entered American Airlines Center without Roy Hibbert, David West, George Hill, and of course Paul George. They were sporting the NBA's 26th-ranked offense. The Mavericks allowed them to score 111 points on 48 percent shooting, including 50 percent from three-point range.

"We just have to put up more resistance," head coach Rick Carlisle said. "That's where it's at defensively, and our guys know that," Carlisle added about Dallas' 15th-ranked defense, which gives up 103.5 points per 100 possessions.

The Mavs sport the league's best offense and have the talent to make a deep postseason run come Spring time, but outside of Tyson Chandler and reserve forward Al-Farouq Aminu, none of their regular rotation players are particularly strong defenders.

The fact that the team is even defending at a middle of the pack rate is a testament to Carlisle and Chandler, but competing for a championship will be tough without an improved D.

"I said it before the season," Nowitzki said following Monday's disappointing loss. "This team is going to be challenged defensive-wise and rebounding-wise. If we don't bring it every night, we're going to get lit up."