It’s a showdown of unicorns this Saturday, as Kristaps Porzingis and the Dallas Mavericks take on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. The Mavs prevailed in the last meeting between these two teams, but will the story be the same in Orlando?
The Bucks have finally recovered from their back-to-back losses to the Houston Rockets and the Brooklyn Nets, as they scored a 130-116 win over the Miami Heat on Thursday. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton unsurprisingly led the charge for the Bucks, as each had 33 points. Antetokounmpo also had 12 rebounds, while Middleton dished out a nice total of eight dimes. The Bucks’ efficient scoring ways were on full display in the Miami game, as they shot 52.6 percent from the field, drilled 15 of their 37 shots from deep for 40.5 percent accuracy, and sank 33 of 38 free throws (86.8%). All season long, the Bucks have shot the ball well, as evidenced by the fact that Milwaukee is tops in the NBA in scoring with 118.7 points per game and in effective field goal percentage (55.4). Antetokounmpo could see Dallas like a deer on the headlights again. Back in a 120-116 home loss to the Mavs last December, the Greek Freak exploded for 48 points, though, he only got measly support from Middleton, who churned out just nine points.
LA Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said it best about Luka Doncic: “It takes a whole team to guard him.” Rivers said that after his team edged out the Mavericks, 126-111, on Thursday, but not before seeing the Slovenian guard score 29 points and record six assists in 35 minutes of action. Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis led the Mavs with 30 points to with nine rebounds and five assists in 38 minutes. The Mavericks have been experimenting a bit with their lineup of late, knowing that they can afford to fail in those tests, as they are already secured of a spot in the playoffs. In the Clippers game, they started Boban Marjanovic. Don’t expect to see Marjanovic starting again against a faster Bucks team. It should also be noted here that the Mavericks took down Milwaukee in the aforementioned December meeting without Doncic, who missed it because of an injury. The Mavs relied on Porzingis’ 26 points and Seth Curry’s 26 points, too, off the bench.
The under is 4-2 in the Mavericks’ last six games.
