The Dallas Mavericks beat the Milwaukee Bucks without the help of Luka Doncic last December.
But with the Slovenian hotshot now available to face the reigning MVP, will the Mavs go 2-0 this season against the Bucks?
Or, will the Bucks show Dallas why they are the best team in the East? Catch the game live on Sunday at 8:30 AM (Manila time).
HOME TEAM: Dallas Mavericks (41-30, 19-17 at home)
Once again, the Mavericks wasted another productive outing by Luka Doncic. With Doncic delving into his bag of tricks and finishing the game with 29 points and 6 triples, the Mavericks still found a way to lose to the LA Clippers last Friday, 126-111. The Mavs also got 30 points from Porzingis, who also hit 3 treys.
Dallas does have star power, but the Mavericks lack support for their starts from the other pieces. Among all 22 teams camping at Disney Land, the Mavericks are last in bench scoring with just 23.7 points per game from their relievers. However, in the loss to the Clippers, only Dorian Finney-Smith scored more than 8 points among Dallas starters not named Kristaps Porzingis or Luka Doncic. In other words, Dallas’ offense is too concentrated on its Euro Duo.
When the Mavericks beat Milwaukee on Dec. 17, 2019, they got 39 points from Seth Curry and Delon Wright off the bench to help Dallas beat the Bucks, 120-116, despite the absence of Doncic (injury).
ROAD TEAM: Milwaukee Bucks (55-14, 25-10 on the road)
Milwaukee’s own dynamic duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton each had 33 points in the Bucks’ 130-116 win against the Miami Heat. The win snapped the Bucks’ two-game losing skid and gave them momentum heading into the rematch with the Mavericks.
The Bucks don’t have much to invest in this Dallas game, considering that whatever happens at Disney Land, they’ll still be the top seed in the Eastern Conference in the playoffs. It’s not going to be the shock of the century if the Bucks limit Antetokounmpo’s and Middleton’s minutes or sit them out together this Sunday. In any case, the Bucks have a deep roster that has enough talent beyond Antetokounmpo and Middleton to take advantage of Dallas’ defense, particularly at the rim.
Dallas, which allowed 58 points in the paint to the Clippers, is letting opponents score 48.0 points in the shaded area in its last three games. Conversely, Milwaukee is fourth in the NBA this season with 49.4 points in the paint per outing.
PREDICTIONS:
Between the Mavericks and the Bucks, the latter has, as mentioned, the least incentive in winning a game like this one. Dallas beats Milwaukee, 116-113.
