The Dallas Mavericks continued their three-game homestand with the second game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. The Mavericks lost to the Bucks 132-117 at the American Airlines Center on Los Mavs Night, a celebration of the Hispanic community. Dallas fell to 32-29 and failed to achieve a two-game winning streak, while Milwaukee improved to 34-25 and won its second straight game.
Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 31 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Moses Brown followed up with 18 points and nine rebounds. Klay Thompson had 16 points, two rebounds, and five assists. Jaden Hardy added 16 points, one rebound, and four assists. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 12 points and three assists. Naji Marshall recorded seven points, four rebounds, and four assists.
Dallas Mavericks-Milwaukee Bucks Recap
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Milwaukee Bucks game was action-packed from start to finish. The Mavericks ruled out Anthony Davis with a left adductor strain, Caleb Martin with a right hip strain, Daniel Gafford with a Grade 3 right MCL sprain, and Dereck Lively II with a right ankle stress fracture. The Bucks ruled out Pat Connaughton with a left calf strain, Pete Nance with a left ankle sprain, and Bobby Portis Jr. with a league suspension.
Before the game, Mavericks Head Coach Jason Kidd said that Caleb Martin is doing “extremely well” and has been “playing” when asked about contact work. The Mavericks’ starting lineup presented Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington Jr., and Moses Brown. The Bucks’ starting lineup consisted of Damian Lillard, Taurean Prince, Kyle Kuzma, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Brook Lopez.
The first quarter was in favor of the Mavericks. Irving had 10 first-quarter points, while Marshall did high-quality work on both ends of the court. The Mavericks settled for a 36-31 lead at the end of the first. The second quarter favored the Bucks, thanks to 40 second-quarter points that helped their cause. The Bucks carried a 71-63 lead entering halftime.
The Bucks’ offensive dominance continued in the third-quarter scoring. Antetokounmpo scored on a rim shot through traffic midway through the third quarter. The Bucks led 101-79 through three quarters. The fourth quarter favored the Mavericks. The Mavericks’ offense made plays, but it was too little, too late. Washington Jr. suffered right ankle soreness and left the game as the Bucks won 132-117 in regulation.
Mavericks-Bucks Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Milwaukee Bucks game featured multiple highlights, such as ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins’s exciting prediction following the Mavericks’ 107-99 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. Perkins, 40, said that with Irving and company at the helm, he expects them to go all the way, despite trading Luka Doncic. He also urged Mavericks fans to look at the big picture, the franchise’s future.
For the Mavericks, FS1’s Colin Cowherd’s response to The Athletic’s Sam Amick’s report about Mavericks insiders talking about Doncic being lazy, having weight issues, and a taste for beer and hookah. Cowherd, 61, described the Mavericks-Lakers trade as a divorce and added that we’re finding out that the Mavericks are now badmouthing the ex, as stories are now leaking on Doncic.
For the Bucks, two Indiana women sued the Bucks, former player Patrick Beverly, and former assistant coach Josh Oppenheimer after an incident in a May 2024 playoff game. Beverley, now 36, threw a ball into the stands twice, hitting both. He claimed on his podcast that they said something racial to him. If he returns to the NBA, he could face a four-game suspension. The Bucks told Fox6 that they have no comment at this time.
Final Thoughts
The Dallas Mavericks finally overcame the Charlotte Hornets to win 103-96 at the American Airlines Center on Thursday. The Mavericks started the three-game homestand on a high note and won six of their last seven home games. The Hornets led 60-57 in the third quarter and were tied in the fourth quarter. The Mavericks couldn’t gain offensive traction until Irving and Brown pulled the team out of their misery.
After walking from the American Airlines Center’s loading dock towards the locker rooms, Josh Green reportedly had a hard time not making the right turn into the Mavericks’ inner sanctum as he’d done before. Green, 24, told Mavs.com that it was extremely weird” walking by the locker room and going to the away locker room. He spent his first four seasons with the Mavericks and was a key part of the rotation to the NBA Finals.
The Mavericks’ goal of a top-six finish is realistic but a tall order. As of Sunday, Dallas is in 10th place with a 32-29 record. The Mavericks sidestepped a landmine with a 103-96 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday. The Mavericks’ primary goal should be to avoid the play-in tournament, as they likely won’t catch one of the top four teams for home-court advantage.
The Mavericks will wrap up the three-game homestand with the third game against the Sacramento Kings on Monday at 7:30 p.m. Central. The Kings previously faced the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on Saturday before traveling to Dallas. The Kings defeated the Rockets 113-103 in regulation. Sacramento improved to 31-28, while Houston fell to 37-23.
