Giannis Pours in 31 Points as Bucks Outlast Luka Doncic, Mavs 112-109

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

The Milwaukee Bucks took down a depleted Dallas Mavericks team, 112-109, at Fiserv Forum on Friday as two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo went off for 31 points.

The visitors were forced to play without Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell and Josh Richardson and started Wes Iwundu, Willie Cauley-Stein and Tim Hardaway Jr. alongside Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis instead. 

It was the second game back for Porzingis after making his season debut Wednesday against the Charlotte Hornets, which saw him tally 16 points and four rebounds despite tweaking his ankle. 

The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Dallas (6-5) and gave the Bucks (9-4) their fourth consecutive victory.

Notable Performers

Luka Doncic, PG, Dallas Mavericks: 28 points, 13 assists, 9 rebounds

Kristaps Porzingis, F, Dallas Mavericks: 15 points, 10 rebounds, 6-for-19 FG

Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF, Milwaukee Bucks: 31 points, 9 rebounds 1 assist, 5 turnovers

Khris Middleton, SF, Milwaukee Bucks: 25 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists 

Giannis’ Weakness Nearly Costs Bucks 

It’s not often there’s an obvious gripe against a two-time MVP.  But the do-it-all forward just can’t seem to build confidence from the free-throw line. 

On Friday he went just 1-for-10 from the line despite shooting 14-for-21 from the field overall. In a game decided by one possession, leaving nine points at the stripe is akin to a sin for Milwaukee. Especially since Antetokounmpo’s struggles led to more passive play from the MVP down the stretch. 

Instead of driving to score and drawing fouls, Antetokounmpo began settling for jumpers late, each miss opening the door a bit wider for a Dallas comeback. After trailing since the score read 10-9 in the first quarter, the Mavs jumped ahead 105-103 with 2:41 left in regulation. 

That could have been the moment when Antetokounmpo amped up his aggressiveness and began overpowering a short-handed Dallas team in the paint. With Cauley-Stein, Doncic and James Johnson in foul trouble, it seemed like an obvious play. 

Instead, the Bucks turned to Khris Middleton to restore the lead. The wing sank back-to-back three to retake the lead and Milwaukee escaped. 

Antetokounmpo entered Friday shooting just 61.8 percent on free throws. Considering he hasn’t been above 75 percent since the 2017-18 season, this isn’t surprising, but it is a new low. Antetokounmpo has never finished a season shooting below 63.3 percent from the line. 

The Bucks were lucky it didn’t cost them a win on Friday. It may only be a matter of time before that’s no longer the case. 

Porzingis’ Slow Start Continues

With a truncated preseason and copious COVID-19 policies in place, it was always going to be tough for Porzingis to return to form this year. 

The 25-year-old missed the first nine games of the Mavericks’ regular season and the rust he’s accumulated since hasn’t been hard to spot. Which isn’t to say that Porzingis was awful on Friday, though his game left plenty to be desired, it’s that the margin for error is more noticeable than ever—especially in arenas where players are constantly spread out. 

Against the Bucks, Porzingis’ flaws were exposed while he struggled to find his rhythm. It’s not hard to imagine this could have been a Mavs blowout with even an average shooting performance from the seven-footer. Instead, he opened up two for 14 from the field, missing all four of his shots in the paint during the first quarter.

Yet jacking up a deep three-pointer with eight seconds left down by two may have been his worst decision. Already not shooting well, Porzingis’ would-be game-winner clanked off the backboard without getting close to the rim.

Milwaukee would walk away with the win sealed after that miss.

The big man just couldn’t help but telegraph his moves and the Bucks were all too eager to read them. That’s how Milwaukee’s Brook Lopez was able to easily sky for a block on a strong drive down the lane, or how Antetokounmpo was able to spin off him in the post for a simple lay-up. 

It may take a few more games for Porzingis to return to being the difference-maker who averaged 20.4 points and 9.5 assists last year.

How long that process takes—and how long of a leash head coach Rick Carlisle will give Porzingis—will say plenty about the Mavs’ season. 

What’s Next

The Mavericks return home to face the Chicago Bulls at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday before heading back out on a three-game road trip on Monday. The Bucks, meanwhile, head to Brooklyn for a Monday night showdown against James Harden and the new-look Nets at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT.