Luka Doncic claimed he cost the Dallas Mavericks the game after they went 2-0 down to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, despite recording a triple-double.

Doncic finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists on Sunday, yet the Mavericks lost 105-98.

Yet Doncic, who recovered from a series of niggles to play in Game 2, was not impressed with his performance.

"I think my turnovers and my missed free throws cost us the game," he said.

"So, I've got to do way better in those two categories.

"But at the end of the day, we've got to make shots to win the game."

Doncic is only the fourth player, after LeBron James, Charles Barkley and Jerry West, to have a 30-point triple-double in a Finals loss.

And teammate Kyrie Irving aimed to provide Doncic with some solace.

"He's not alone, and we are going to tell him that," Irving said.

"He's spilling into his emotions, feels like he could play better, just like me. I would take the brunt of the responsibility. The first two games weren't the best for me.

"A lot of shots were hitting the back rim. That could p*** you off as a competitor, but it's all part of the game of basketball. And you have to accept the ups and downs of this. That's, I would say, the toughest challenge when you're in a series. You want to play extremely well, especially when you're playing in the Finals.

"Obviously, I'm going against Jrue Holiday and Jaylen Brown a few times, but I feel like I have the upper edge on certain possessions where I've just got to convert."

Mavs coach Jason Kidd suggested Doncic was being too hard on himself.

"He was great," Kidd said.

"No matter what he says, that's just who he is. He's a leader. It's not all on him. It's a team.

"We win as a team, and we lose as a team. So, he put us in a position. He was really good tonight. Unfortunately, we just couldn't get over the hump. I thought our defense was really, really good. We've just got to take care of the ball."