Mavs Use ‘Ass-Whooping’ to Fuel Major Win Against Bucks

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the reigning NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks in part of a nationally televised matchup on Sunday.

Coming off a 135-103 loss to the Washington Wizards - one that coach Jason Kidd likened to an "ass-whooping" - the Dallas Mavericks pulled off a strong bounce-back performance against the reigning NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. 

Despite facing an early eight-point deficit at the end of the first quarter, the Mavericks overcame to win 118-112 against the Bucks. Luka Doncic led the way with 32 points, eight rebounds, and 15 assists while the rest of the team had a hot shooting night, and the defense tightened up.

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Mavericks used a productive practice on Saturday to clean up plenty of the shortcomings they experienced against the Wizards. Knowing a matchup against one of the NBA's elite teams would require their best, the positive nature of the team was key in getting it done. 

“Sometimes games, they don’t go your way and you have to move forward,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said when speaking about responding to the blowout loss against the Wizards. “But I thought yesterday we had a great practice. I thought the spirit was in a good place. We were happy.

“This group is always happy. They have a lot of fun. I thought coming in against the champs we knew this was going to be a tough game, and we put ourselves in position to win.”

One of the top areas that plagued the Mavericks in their loss against the Wizards was the lack of resistance on Washington’s 3s. The Wizards finished shooting 17-33 (51.5 percent) from deep, and tightening up in that area quickly became a point of emphasis for the Mavs in practice.

Early on, the Bucks were getting it done from beyond the arc. They went 8-16 (50.0 percent) on 3s in the first quarter, but the Mavericks tightened up on that front as the game progressed. For the remainder of the game, Milwaukee was held to 7-24 (29.2 percent) shooting from the perimeter. 

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout the season, the Mavericks, who lead the NBA in double-figure comebacks (17), have often managed to experience a quick turnaround after simply re-focusing. Whether it's after facing an early deficit or bouncing back from a loss, this team has remained resilient and mentally tough.

“There’s no panic,” Kidd said. “We all, I think, trust one another. The chemistry and the accountability is high and we accept when things don’t go well. We don’t blame anyone, we learn from it, we talk about it and we move forward.

“Overall, on the road against the champs, it’s a hard place to win, especially after we had that performance in Washington. This group in that locker room know they can respond even when they know they didn’t play well. They came in this afternoon and played a great game.”

The Bucks were the final team on the Mavericks' remaining regular-season schedule that is currently a lock to be in the playoffs. Other than the San Antonio Spurs in the finale, the rest of the opponents are among the worst in the league. Making the most of a strong test close to the playoffs was important as a result.