The Dallas Mavericks were eliminated from the NBA Cup on Tuesday night after a 118-104 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Dallas was soundly beaten in the second half, but especially in the third quarter, where they were outscored 33-19. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Mavs to 39 points, while no one on the Dallas side scored more than 19 points.

Early turnovers prevented the Mavs from gaining a big lead as they outscored the Thunder from the floor in the first half, but 11 turnovers in the first half limited their scoring opportunities. Despite having “only” seven turnovers in the second half, they couldn’t get enough stops to make a difference.

Here are three takeaways from Tuesday’s loss.

READ MORE: Mavericks fall behind Thunder, 118-104, eliminated from NBA Cup

Lu Dort was always a tough opponent for Luka Doncic due to his physicality, but OKC did a phenomenal job of keeping the ball out of Doncic’s hands. Even when he got the ball, he was blitzed on the ball screens and often shot over two defenders, resulting in a 1/9 start from the floor. When he plays against teams as strong as OKC, he needs to be more productive.

PJ Washington missed this game due to illness and the Mavs are now 1-5 without him in the lineup. Although he has a reputation as a thunder killer, his rebounding was sorely missed in this game. Because Dallas rotates their bigs on the perimeter, who sometimes have to struggle with three-point shots, they have no real rebound threat outside of Luka Doncic. Washington’s versatility and rebounding make Dallas’ defense work. He also would have been another body to throw at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Prosper was solid for the second straight game, finishing the game with six points and two rebounds, including a perfect 2/2 from three-point range, while also being the only Mavericks with a positive plus/minus. His energy and drive were exactly what the team needed as they tried to get back into the game late on. With Dallas dealing with some injuries and illness, he may deserve a true rotation spot.

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