Preview: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic Lead Bucks and Mavs Into Final Encounter
Basketball fans are in for a real treat Friday as the Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks tip off for their second and final matchup of the season. This is a huge prime-time game between some of the game’s best, as NBA stars Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo go head-to-head at American Airlines Center.
The last time these two powerhouse squads went at it, the Bucks defended home court and got the 124-115 win over Dallas. Antetokounmpo had himself a night, scoring 30 points on 11-19 shooting and also grabbing 11 rebounds.
Bucks shooting guard Grayson Allen also had a huge game to help seal the victory. Allen finished the game with 25 points on 8-10 after having a scorching hot first half where he shot 7-7 from the field.
Milwaukee (18-6) comes into Friday’s matchup as the second-best team in the Eastern Conference and looks to put their stamp on this regular-season matchup with another wire-to-wire dub.
On the flip side, we have Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, who are looking to bounce back from the loss they took last time out. Doncic was in his bag in their previous matchup, putting up 27 points on 10-20 shooting to go along with 12 assists.
Doncic and the Mavs have been a tear as of late, winning their last three matchups versus the Knicks, Suns, and Nuggets. Mavericks forwards Tim Hardaway Jr and Dorian Finney-Smith put up big-time offensive outbursts during this stretch of games.
Finney-Smith scored 19 points, shooting 7-13 from the field against the second-place Nuggets. Hardaway Jr also had a great game, dropping 29 points while shooting 7-12 from the field.
With the Western Conference standings so tight, every win matters. The Mavericks picked the right time to get hot, but will it be enough to even the season series tonight? All questions will be answered tonight on ESPN at 10 pm.
