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The shorthanded Dallas Mavericks hung around all night but were edged out by Giannis Antetokounmpo late. The Milwaukee Bucks earned their ninth win of the season in a 112-109 victory.
Giannis was in MVP form tonight, putting up a game-high 31 points on 66.7 percent shooting from the field, followed by Khris Middleton, who had 25 points and converted on four clutch three-pointers.
Check out the first half of the 2020-21 NBA season schedule here.
The Dallas Mavericks fought hard all night but the young team could not steal a road victory, ending their five-game win streak. Tim Hardaway Jr. had 22 points, and Luka Doncic, the leading scorer for the Mavericks, had 28 points and dished out 13 assists to collect his sixth double-double of the season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo got the Milwaukee Bucks off to a hot start.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had his team rolling from the opening tip. The back-to-back MVP started the game 4-for-6 from the field and had 10 points in the first quarter.
Giannis had the matchup advantage all night against the frontcourt of the Dallas Mavericks. As is typical for the Greek Freak, 12 of his 14 made field goals came from inside the three-point arc.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the league's most likable players. He gives it his all every night and stays clear of drama, unlike some of the other NBA superstars.
If the Greek Freak ever becomes a constant threat from the three-point lane this season, the NBA can send the Milwaukee Bucks their championship trophy now.
Giannis finished with 16 points on 70 percent shooting in the first half after playing just 15 minutes against the Dallas Mavericks. He played such few minutes due to picking up three early fouls.
Poor free-throw shooting allowed the Dallas Mavericks to stay in the game late
In a night where the Bucks looked like they could have ran away with the win, they allowed the Dallas Mavericks to stick around late, due to not converting on their free-throws. Milwaukee shot just 48 percent from the charity stripe, and Giannis Antetokounmpo went only 1-of-10.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is shooting a career-low 57.5 percent this season from the free-throw line. He stayed late after the win to get extra practice on his routine.
The Dallas Mavericks, who were one of the worst teams in the league last season at closing out late leads, failed to hold onto the two-point lead they gained with under three minutes to play tonight.
The Dallas Mavericks had a chance late to tie the game or take the lead but missed two three-pointers. Luka Doncic was frustrated at his coach for not calling a timeout after the offensive rebound.
Khris Middleton iced the game with two clutch three-pointers with under two minutes to go. If Middleton can continue to put up his shot at a high level and average over 20 points a game, the Milwaukee Bucks will be in trouble come time for the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
Guess the Lakers players!
