Giannis, Dame Lead Bucks Rally to Defeat Mavs Despite Big Performances from Luka, Kyrie

The Mavs ended a four-game road trip with a loss against the Bucks despite strong outings from superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

MILWAUKEE — In a matchup to end a four-game road trip, the Dallas Mavericks took on the Milwaukee Bucks in a 132-125 loss. The Mavs' record dropped to 9-4 on the season, finishing with a 2-2 record on the trip. After achieving the victory, the Bucks improved to 9-4 through 13 games. 

"They're elite, they've won a championship," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said of the Bucks. "They have quite a few players that are very good, when you add Dame [Damian Lillard] to the mix. I thought the guys did a great job of putting themselves in a position to win on the road. It's not easy. The beauty of the NBA is we've got another one tomorrow."

Both superstars Doncic and Antetokounmpo set the tone early and often for their respective teams. Both players scored 12 points in the first quarter. Neither team had yet created a significant run to manufacture an advantage, with the Mavs leading 34-33 at the end of the period. 

With turnovers and missed shots piling up for the Mavs, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks on a 17-2 run in the second quarter to swing the momentum in Milwaukee's favor. Dallas trailed by as many as 11 points before halftime. 

Doncic gave the Mavs a significant spark out of the break, achieving a personal 7-0 run, helping Dallas go from trailing to holding its largest lead up to that point. Irving got to the rim for a finish to continue the run, prompting the Bucks to call timeout with the Mavs being up 67-60. 

The Mavs continued to pour it on the Bucks, ultimately leading by as many as 12 points before they fired back with their rally. With Milwaukee targeting Doncic in screening actions, Lillard heated up and helped the Bucks rally back to trailing just 83-81 later in the third quarter. 

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo gets to the rim against the Dallas Mavericks.  / Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

Irving, who got off to a slow start shooting the ball, found a significant rhythm as the game progressed by getting to the rim aggressively. He helped lead the Mavs to stave off the Bucks' late-quarter surge, and Dallas held a 98-89 advantage entering the final period. Dallas scored 40 points in the period, with Irving scoring 18. 

"I think he started off slow, but for Kai [Kyrie Irving], he's a vet, and he continued to keep attacking," Kidd said. "He got great looks. He got to the basket. He had great looks from three that normally have gone down for him, but I think a lot of his shots were good shots tonight, and we will live with those shots. 

"We believe that he's going to make most of them, but that just shows his patience when he wasn't making those early," Kidd explained. "He just kept playing the game the right way, and the ball started falling for him." 

After making some halftime recalculations, Irving succeeded in establishing a rhythm throughout the second half. He pointed to personal adjustments he made particularly in pick-and-roll situations after seeing how the Bucks' scheme was approaching guarding him in the first half to exploit when returning to action. 

"It's basketball, so it's a tale of two halves," Irving said. "I do my best not to get mentally bogged down or frustrated when the ball is not going in. Just trusting the work and coming out of halftime tonight.

"I felt like I could take advantage of some of the defensive coverages they showed in the first half," Irving explained. "Just making mental adjustments and then being able to attack it coming out of those screen-and-rolls that we set up in the first half, but it was a different set of opportunities in the second half that I took advantage of."

Antetokounmpo attacked the rim for a finish against Dereck Lively II's contest, cutting the Mavs' advantage to just 113-112 with 5:17 remaining in regulation. The Greek superstar forced Lively's fifth foul with about five minutes left to play, then made a pair of go-ahead free throws. 

"Giannis was just torching us in the paint," Doncic said. "I don't know how many paint points he had, but he had a lot. Obviously, it's really tough to stop him, but he was just getting into the paint a lot."

With the Bucks dialing up shotmaking and general execution, they pulled off a strong close in clutch time to seal the victory. Dallas went from leading by double figures in the final period to being unable to pull ahead when it mattered most. Milwaukee scored 43 points in the fourth quarter, while the Mavs shot 3-15 from 3 in the period.

"I think we had great looks to go, shooting 3-15 on 3s in the fourth [quarter]; we made these shots in the past — great looks, they just went in and out," Kidd said. "They got in the bonus, so any fouls, they went to the free throw line. We have to do a better job, and then in the fourth quarter, you can't give up 40 plus points."

Down the stretch, the Bucks often ran their offense through Lillard in ball-screening actions, putting a lot of stress on the Mavs' defense. Antetokounmpo was able to take advantage of Dallas' lack of resistance to frequent the paint, while Milwaukee's offense generated open looks, including a pair of timely made 3s by Pat Connaughton. 

"We did a good job coming out of halftime with that energy and verve we normally have. We were playing good defensive principals, and they were making timely shots. A few times in that fourth quarter, I was out of position, or other guys were out of position defensively where we're giving up some corner threes to some of their shooters and Giannis getting downhill, shooting a few free throws tonight."

A lot of production came from both team's available elite players, with Antetokounmpo leading all scorers with 40 points while adding 14 rebounds and seven assists. Irving wasn't far off, with 39 points, four rebounds, and six assists. Doncic had an exceptional outing, totaling 35 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, but Lillard ended with 27 points and 12 assists. 

"Just got to play better defense. That's it," Doncic said. "I don't think offense is a problem. I think we just have to play better defense."

The Mavs return to action on Sunday when they stop back at American Airlines Center for a matchup against the Sacramento Kings before departing for Los Angeles to take on both the Lakers and Clippers.

"There were some difference makers in that second half where we can clean up," Irving said. "Now, we just have to get ready for Sacramento — definitely lessons learned here."