Doncic had a rough first half. His response ended the Thunder’s winning streak

Dallas Mavericks, killers of NBA winning-streaks.

You’d be forgiven if that doesn’t quite mesh with a team that has lost 8 of its first 11 games to start the 2018 season.

But that’s what head coach Rick Carlisle’s team did when it blew out the hottest team in the league at the American Airlines Center, 111-96.

Entering Saturday night’s game, the Oklahoma City Thunder had won seven straight games after dropping its first four of the season.

What was truly surprising was that the Mavericks managed to build a 12-point halftime lead with very little help from Luka Doncic.

For the first time in his NBA career, the tremendously talented rookie had a bad night shooting and scoring the basketball.

Entering this divisional clash, Doncic was leading the team in scoring with an average of 20 points per game.

Many are right to tout Doncic’s scoring average, but what’s been even more impressive is how he’s been doing it.

Prior to the game against Thunder, the do-it-all wing/guard also led the team in field goal attempts per game (15), field goal percentage (48) and three-point percentage (40).

Only twice this season has he shot the ball under 40 percent from the field in a game (at the Suns on Oct. 17 and home against the Bulls on Oct. 22) Unsurprisingly, those two performance were in his first and third game of his career.

In the first quarter against the thunder, he was confronted with the monstrous 7-foot paint-patroller that is Steven Adams. Doncic also had several shots roll around the rim and go in-and-out.

But following the first period of play, he’d only recorded 4 points and shot a dreadful 1-for-6 from the field (17 percent).

He was able to salvage a response thanks to an And-1 late in the second quarter. At the half, he’d recorded 7 points on 2-of-7 shooting from the field (29 percent).

In fact, not a single player on the Mavericks’ roster, save for J.J. Barea, cracked double-digits in the scoring column.

Because all-world point guard Russell Westbrook is out dealing with an ankle injury, backup Dennis Schroder moved into the starting lineup. As a result, Barea was able to feast on reserves, mainly point guard Raymond Felton.

At the half, Barea lead the team in scoring with 16 points. For the game, he recorded 21 points.

Dennis Smith Jr. and Harrison Barnes also combined for just 21 points.

So, it’s encouraging the Mavericks can find ways to score when their most talented scorers are having an off night. At various points throughout the second half, Dallas led by 20 points or more.

In the final two quarters, Doncic tallied 9 points points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field. Through three quarters he was back to 50 percent from the field.

At some point in the fourth quarter, there seemed to be a possibility that he suffered a mild knee injury. But he returned to the floor shortly after.

By night’s end he’d posted 22 points and had arguably has most efficient game to date. The rookie hit nine of his 16 shots from the floor (60 percent), along with eight assists and six rebounds.

After the game, Doncic said he wasn’t’ fazed by the minor injury or his lack of production early on in this game.

His coach felt the same way.

“He knows that before the game is over, he’s going to have the ball in his hands enough,” Carlisle said. “He plays beyond his years in terms of reading things and mixing aggression and unselfishness.”

His second-half effort was perfectly encapsulated with 5:30 to go in the game. After catching the ball right near the left side three-point arc, he faked a shot and drove towards the front of the rim.

As Adams promptly rumbled to to fill the lane, Doncic cradled the ball out to the left, away from the forward’s reach, and rolled it in off of the backboard.

Lesson learned.