NBA: Bucks come back to complete season sweep of Mavericks
FILE – Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts after fouling out late in the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on November 30, 2022 in New York City. Milwaukee Bucks defeated the New York Knicks 109-103. Mike Stobe/Getty Images/AFP
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 28 points and Brook Lopez sank the game-winning layup as the Milwaukee Bucks stole a game against the visiting Dallas Mavericks 106-105 on Friday.
With less than 10 seconds to go, George Hill made a lob pass to Lopez from the sideline, with the basket putting the Bucks ahead by one. After a Mavericks timeout, Luka Doncic missed a potential game-winning 3-point shot.
The decisive finish was Lopez’s only field goal of the night.
Giannis turned it up in the 4th quarter dropping 15 points.
28 PTS | 10 REB | 3 AST pic.twitter.com/bQLSHdYRIW
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) December 10, 2022
Doncic wound up with 33 points, 11 assists and six rebounds, shooting 13-for-28 from the field. Spencer Dinwiddie and Christian Wood had strong showings for Mavericks as well, scoring 15 and 14 points, respectively, and Wood led the team with nine rebounds.
Antetokounmpo scored five points in the first half. His night came to an end with 2:55 to go in the fourth quarter when he fouled out, winding up two points shy of his ninth consecutive game scoring over 30 points.
Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday stepped up with Antetokounmpo in foul trouble. Holiday finished with 17 points and Middleton had 19, with both scoring 12 of their points in the first half.
Bucks find a way and come out on top with a 106-105 win over the Mavs. pic.twitter.com/2wnyx1qIWT
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) December 10, 2022
The Bucks made a strong comeback, tying the game with an 8-0 run with under seven minutes to go after being down by 11 at the end of the third. They were able to quiet a Dallas crowd that was energized after a third-quarter poster dunk from Doncic over Holiday that put the Mavericks up 75-66.
Doncic had a strong start to this one, scoring 16 points in the first quarter. He scored or assisted on 25 of the Mavericks’ 33 points in the quarter, but Dallas held a one-point lead at the end of the opening frame. Doncic is leading the NBA in first-quarter points and assists.
Milwaukee swept the two-game season series against Dallas for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
