OKLAHOMA CITY – The best advice Luka Dončić could get after Tuesday’s loss would be something like Mom said there will be days like this.

The Mavericks superstar had a rare game in which practically nothing worked. The Oklahoma City Thunder had two or more defenders on him almost every time Luka got the ball in his sweet spots.

The results weren’t pretty. Dončić finished the game with 16 points, shot 5 of 15 from the field and had six turnovers. While he contributed 11 rebounds and five assists, it was difficult to see the Mavericks’ seven-game winning streak come to an end.

“There’s a reason why they’re the No. 1 defensive team in the league,” Dončić said. “They have great defensive players. They decided to double me every time. Give them credit. They played really well defensively today.”

It was an unforgettable first half for Dončić, who was named the NBA’s Player of the Week in the Mavericks’ 3-0 win last week. He was 1 of 7 from the field before halftime.

“I didn’t play particularly well in the first half and we were still only three points behind,” he said. “We took good shots. It’s probably one of the worst halves I’ve ever played. I can’t start like that. I have to help my team more.”

The way the Thunder played Dončić should come as no surprise. They double-teamed frequently in the playoff series last spring.

But they have signed another important defensive player in Alex Caruso alongside Lu Dort and Jalen Williams.

“They used Luka as a double player. “This is nothing new, we’ve seen this a lot when we play against Oklahoma City,” coach Jason Kidd said. “For us, the others have to be able to make the plays, and we just weren’t able to make the open shots consistently.”

The yin to that yang was that OKC MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 39 points and consistently killed every turnover the Mavericks attempted.

“Shai was locked up tonight,” Naji Marshall said. “He hit some hard shots. That’s just how it is sometimes. He’s a great player and that’s what he does. Hard shots can sometimes cost a defense its life. But that’s exactly what Shai does with a lot of people. He did his thing.”

Luka said of Gilgeous-Alexander: “He’s a great goalscorer. He involves his teammates. It’s often difficult to stop him. I think at some point you have to send two or three players. It’s great to play against a guy like that, these fights. It’s fun.”

Although on nights like Tuesday it’s not as fun as last season’s playoffs.

It continues: The Mavericks have been eliminated from the regular-season tournament and will begin the regular season on Sunday, either at Golden State or with a home game against Houston, depending on who wins Wednesday’s Warriors-Rockets game in Houston.

Dončić was disappointed that he did not make it to the event’s semifinals and finals in Las Vegas.

“Of course we wanted to go,” he said. “I enjoy playing this tournament. I think it’s a great idea for the NBA. I always played it in Spain and it was fun. Now that it’s over, the next game comes.”

He said he was looking forward to a better result next year.

X: @ESefko