OKLAHOMA CITY — Luka Dončić’s numbers were video-game-like in his first four games back from a right wrist injury, which sidelined him for the final week of November.
Dončić tallied two triple-doubles last week, performances that helped him earn him Western Conference Player of the Week honors.
To slow him, the Oklahoma City Thunder employed a strict defensive strategy.
“They decided to double-(team) me every time,” Dončić said.
Dončić dealt with this last spring when his Dallas Mavericks beat 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, which snapped the Mavericks’ winning streak at seven games and ended their hopes of hoisting the NBA Cup in Las Vegas next week.
“It’s nothing new,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said of the Thunder’s defensive strategy. “We have seen that a lot when we played Oklahoma City. For us, the others have to make the plays. We just didn’t. We weren’t able to make the plays tonight or knock down the open shots on a consistent basis.”
Tuesday’s game pitted the NBA’s No. 4 offensive team (Dallas) against the No. 1 defensive team (Oklahoma City). The Thunder allow 103.4 points per 100 possessions, two points fewer than the next-closest team. They were stocked with smart, dogged perimeter defenders last season. Then this offseason, they added another one 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 over the ball twice in the first half trying to force transition passes ahead to teammates. Toward the end of the second quarter, Dončić hauled in a defensive rebound, only for Lu Dort 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 with four turnovers.
“That’s probably one of the worst halves I’ve ever played,” Dončić said. “I got to help my team.”
It didn’t help Dallas’ cause that forward P.J. Washington was ruled out pregame with an illness. Washington was the team’s second-leading scorer and rebounder in its playoff series win against Oklahoma City in May. Washington averaged 17.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in that series while shooting a sizzling 46.9 percent from 3.
The Mavericks could have used Washington’s spot-up 3-point shooting ability. But more than that, the Mavericks missed the force Washington plays with. The Thunder outrebounded the Mavericks 52-44. The last time the two teams played in November, the Mavericks mauled the Thunder on the boards, winning that battle 53-29.
The flip-flop in rebounding had much to do with Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein being back in the lineup for Oklahoma City, 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 level was low for whatever reason,” Kidd said. “They came out and hit us. They took full advantage after halftime. It’s something we have to address and look at.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the best player on the floor in the NBA Cup elimination game. He led all scorers with 39 points on 15-of-23 shooting. He outscored Dončić and Kyrie Irving, who combined for 33 points.
“Shai has been cooking defenses 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. That stepback, which gives him another threat out there for his game that he has now.”
Irving said he expects Oklahoma City to be one of the teams Dallas is fighting for top seeding in the West in the spring.
“Down into the season, we are going to be competing with them,” Irving said. “I’m not disrespecting any other teams like Minnesota. But these two teams (Oklahoma City and Memphis) right here play us the best, in my opinion. They play me the best defensively. So now it’s just time to make adjustments and be ready for what these other teams throw at us.”
It shouldn’t be a surprise when the Thunder send waves of double-teams in his or Dončić’s direction, Irving added.
“They want us to find other people,” Irving said. “That’s the NBA game now. You want to get the ball out of the best ballhandler’s hands, the best scorer’s hands and let everybody else decide. We have quality talent in this locker room. We definitely could have played it better and should have played it better.”
(Photo of Lu Dort, Luka Dončić and Alex Caruso: Alonzo Adams / Imagn Images)
