OKLAHOMA CITY – Luke Dončić’s numbers resembled a video game in his first four games after he suffered a right wrist injury that sidelined him in the last week of November.

Dončić recorded two triple-doubles last week, performances that earned him Western Conference Player of the Week honors.

To slow him down, the Oklahoma City Thunder employed a strict defensive strategy.

“They decided to double me every time,” Dončić said.

Dončić had to deal with that last spring when his Dallas Mavericks defeated the Thunder in a six-game playoff series. But on Tuesday, the Thunder’s defensive plan worked. Dončić scored 16 points on 5 of 15 shooting and committed six turnovers in a 118-104 loss that ended the Mavericks’ seven-game winning streak and ended their hopes of winning the NBA Cup next week in Las Vegas.

“This is nothing new,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said of the Thunder’s defensive strategy. “We saw that a lot when we played Oklahoma City. The others have to make the plays for us. We just didn’t do it. We weren’t able to make the plays or hit the open shots consistently tonight.”

Tuesday’s game pitted the NBA’s No. 4 offensive team (Dallas) against the No. 1 defensive team (Oklahoma City). The Thunder are allowing 103.4 points per 100 possessions, two points fewer than the next closest team. Last season they had smart, tenacious full-backs. Then they added another this offseason in Alex Caruso.

The Thunder’s length and relentlessness on defense contributed to the Mavericks’ 19 turnovers. But the Mavericks also made unforced errors. Dončić turned the ball over twice in the first half and tried to force passes forward to his teammates. Towards the end of the second quarter, Dončić grabbed a defensive rebound, but Lu Dort was able to rip the ball away. The result was an Isaiah Hartenstein and -1.

Lu Dort rips the ball away from Luka and it leads to an Isaiah Hartenstein and-1!pic.twitter.com/VsTbtz5hUI

– Dime (@DimeUPROXX) December 11, 2024

At halftime, Dončić had two points on 1 of 7 shooting and four turnovers.

“This is probably one of the worst halves I have ever played,” said Dončić. “I have to help my team.”

It didn’t help Dallas that forward PJ Washington was sidelined before the game with an illness. Washington was the team’s second-leading scorer and rebounder in its playoff series win over Oklahoma City in May. Washington averaged 17.7 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting a sizzling 46.9 percent from 3 in the series.

The Mavericks could have taken advantage of Washington’s 3-point shooting ability. But more than that, the Mavericks lacked the power that Washington plays with. The Thunder outscored the Mavericks 52-44. The last time the two teams played in November, the Mavericks beat the Thunder at the boards, winning that battle 53-29.

The rebounding flip-flop had a lot to do with Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein being back in Oklahoma City’s lineup, but Washington’s presence could have helped.

Oklahoma City dominated the possession battle. The Thunder took 101 shots, 21 more than the Mavericks.

“I just thought our energy levels were low for some reason,” Kidd said. “They came out and beat us. After half time they took full advantage. It’s something we need to address and look at.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the best player in the NBA Cup elimination game. With 39 points on 15 of 23 shots, he led all scorers. He surpassed Dončić and Kyrie Irving, who combined for 33 points.

“Shai has prepared the defense all year,” Irving said. “You know what I mean? It’s nothing new. You can tell he’s added that 3-point shot to his game. This regression gives him another threat to his game that he has now.”

Irving said he expects Oklahoma City to be one of the teams Dallas competes with for the top seed in the West this spring.

“We’re going to be competing with them going into the season,” Irving said. “I don’t respect other teams like Minnesota. But these two teams (Oklahoma City and Memphis) play best against us in my opinion. They play best defensively against me. So now it’s time to make adjustments and be prepared for what these other teams throw at us.”

It shouldn’t be a surprise if the Thunder send waves of double teams in and out Dončić’s direction, Irving added.

“They want us to find other people,” Irving said. “This is the NBA game now. You want to get the ball out of the hands of the best ball handler and the best scorer and let everyone else decide. We have top-notch talent in this locker room. We definitely could have played it better and should have played it better.”

(Photo by Lu Dort, Luka Dončić and Alex Caruso: Alonzo Adams / Imagn Images)