After big losses on both sides, even if the Bucks had used their B team against the Clippers, we expected a reaction from Dallas and Milwaukee. Giannis Antetokounmpo and his troop offer the most convincing at the start of the game, with a lot of quick 3-point shots (8/16 in the first 12 minutes) that hit home.
But the Mavericks are not panicking, especially with a good passage from Spencer Dinwiddie, and Luka Doncic allows his team to point (very) slightly ahead (57-55) at halftime.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday try to get their hands on the game, but Luka Doncic is in the oven and in the mill in the third quarter. The Slovenian scores and passes on 25 of his team’s 33 points in the period! It’s very simple: with each possession, we have the impression that he manages to create a good shooting situation.
However, nothing was done (90-87) at the start of the last round, but Dallas’ defense limited the Bucks’ offensive tendencies well, with Texan warriors like Dwight Powell throwing themselves at all the balls, when the “Big Three” local sometimes seems to play with the handbrake. Luka Doncic is not in a great address level evening, but he returns some precious shots, and above all he shifts the right player each time in the “money time”.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Luka Doncic, the alpha and the omega. The Slovenian was not particularly skilful (9/22 shooting, 6 stray balls) but the whole game of Dallas is based on his ability to read defenses and assists to find the right shift. And with an army of role players around him, it works for Dallas.
– Powell, Bullock and Finney-Smith stabilizers. Dallas went from 21st to 7th place in terms of defensive efficiency and the team owes it to a much more involved Luka Doncic on this side of the field, but also to his trio of soldiers: Dwight Powell, Reggie Bullock and Dorian Finney-Smith. Tonight again, they controlled the Middleton – Antetokounmpo duo rather well, and overall the entire offensive game of the Wisconsin franchise.
– Milwaukee is still looking for itself. We have waited all season for the rise of the defending champions, but the Bucks are having a hard time following up. Above all, for a team which is defending its title, and which has moved very little, there are strange errors, like these lost balls in the “money time”.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Luka Doncic. He forced a few stepbacks and he will probably never stop bitching at the referees, despite what he repeats from time to time, but what an influence! It’s an offensive system on its own, and you can build a competitive team by simply surrounding it with the right “role players”.
✅ Dwight Powell. We could also mention Reggie Bullock, author of precious baskets, or Dorian Finney-Smith, who gave his body to limit Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Dwight Powell deserves to be highlighted even more. What defensive activity and what energy on the balls lying around. He covers a lot of ground, he saves possessions, he makes up for a lot of mistakes and as he becomes more effective offensively (22 points at 8/10 shooting, 13 rebounds), he becomes particularly valuable.
⛔ Khris Middleton. He certainly offered 9 assists but his awkwardness of the evening (3/14 in shooting) sealed Milwaukee well, the Mavericks taking advantage of it to lock their racket.
THE FOLLOWING
Milwaukee (48-30) : the Bucks have the opportunity to recover in Chicago on Tuesday night
Dallas (49-30) : the “road trip” continues in Detroit, Wednesday evening, for the Mavericks
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