With both teams riding three-game winning streaks, the Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks will face off Friday night in Dallas.
The Bucks took down the surging Sacramento Kings 126-113 in Milwaukee on Wednesday night as Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 35 points, seven assists and six rebounds. It was the eighth consecutive game in which Antetokounmpo had scored 30 points, which tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the Bucks’ franchise record.
Jrue Holiday also had a strong showing for Milwaukee, scoring 31 points to go along with six assists. Holiday played the entire third quarter, scoring 13 points as Antetokounmpo spent time on the bench due to foul trouble.
“(Holiday) was unbelievable. His space was amazing. He was getting downhill and creating shots,” Antetokounmpo said. “He set the tone for the whole team. We all got going once he got going.”
The Mavericks are coming off a strong 116-115 win in Denver on Tuesday night. It was a rare game in which Luka Doncic did not lead the Mavericks in scoring, as Tim Hardaway Jr. went 6-for-8 from beyond the arc, finishing with 29 points.
Doncic finished with a triple-double (22 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds) despite shooting 5 of 17 and failing to make a field goal in the fourth quarter.
“Luka made all the right plays and let his teammates make the decisions,” said Jason Kidd, the former Bucks and current Mavericks coach. “There’s a lot we can learn from this game, but the week gets harder; we’re gonna get some rest and get ready for Milwaukee.”
Doncic is the NBA’s leading scorer at 32.9 points per game and also ranks fourth with 8.7 assists per game. He leads the Mavericks with 8.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game as well.
Christian Wood is the second-leading scorer and rebounder off the bench for Dallas, with 16.7 points and 7.7 rebounds.
Antetokounmpo is right behind Doncic, ranking second in the NBA at 32 points while also averaging 11.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists. Holiday paces the team with 7.4 assists and 1.5 steals while Brook Lopez leads the NBA with 2.9 blocks per game.
The Bucks are nearly at full strength, with Khris Middleton returning last Friday. They still await the season debut of Joe Ingles, who was just assigned to the G-league affiliate Wisconsin Herd in order to get more practice time. Thanasis Antetokounmpo and rookie Marjon Beauchamp were also assigned to the Herd on Thursday.
Additionally, Wesley Matthews was added to the injury report and missed Wednesday’s game due to health and safety protocol.
The Mavericks are at nearly full strength as well, ruling out only Tyler Dorsey and McKinley Wright IV.
This is the second and final matchup between these teams this season; Milwaukee beat Dallas 124-115 on Nov. 27. The teams have split the two-game series the last two seasons, and the Bucks won their lone game in Dallas a season ago, 102-95.
–Field Level Media
