Bucks Dominate Depleted Mavericks as Antetokounmpo, Lillard Lead: “We All Play Hard”

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard powered the Milwaukee Bucks (36-25) to a 137-107 victory over the short-handed Dallas Mavericks (32-31) on Wednesday night at Fiserv Forum. Antetokounmpo scored 32 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, while Lillard added 34 points, leading the Bucks to their eighth win in the last nine games.

Antetokounmpo’s achievement also represented a significant milestone as he crossed 20,000 career points, making him the 52nd player in NBA history to do so. At just 30, he entered elite company alongside legends such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, and Michael Jordan, becoming one of the youngest to reach this landmark.

“I feel blessed to be here, to do something that so few people have done. But none of that happens without the work, and I just have to stay consistent,” Antetokounmpo said after the game.

The Mavericks, already missing several key players, struggled without Kyrie Irving, who tore the ACL in his left knee just days before the game. The team dressed only eight players, the minimum required for an NBA game, and their injuries left them with little chance against the powerful Bucks. Other inactive players included Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, Caleb Martin, P.J. Washington, Jaden Hardy, and Kai Jones.

“No one feels sorry for us. This is a business, and we have a job and responsibility, and that’s to go out and play,” Kidd said. “We’ve got to find a way to put our best foot forward.”

The game started competitively, with Dallas holding a brief lead at 19-18. However, the Bucks took control with an 18-3 run, fueled by Lillard’s eight points during the stretch, to lead 43-30 after the first quarter. By halftime, the Bucks were up 74-53, extending their lead further to 106-79 entering the fourth quarter.

Klay Thompson, the Mavericks’ leading scorer with 28 points, shared his perspective on the loss. Thompson, the only healthy regular starter for Dallas, had a solid game but shot just 11 of 27 from the field and 6 of 14 from deep.

“We’re human. It’s hard,” Thompson admitted. “It’s easy to be high and mighty when you’re winning, but the true test of your character is when things don’t go your way and you still show up and still play hard. I thought we did a good job of that tonight.”

With Irving out for the season, Thompson knows the scoring burden will fall on his shoulders. He acknowledged that he entered this performance with an aggressive mentality, knowing the offense would need it.

“I came into the game knowing I had to be aggressive, knowing we were undermanned,” Thompson said. “I wish I was a little more efficient, but I gave it my all.”

Thompson’s effort was echoed by Naji Marshall, who scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Players who are not on the inactive list have to bring everything they can in terms of impact to help keep the team afloat.

“We all play hard, and we all are there for each other,” Marshall said. “We understand the moment. We’ve just been there for each other and just go out and leave it all on the floor.”

The Mavericks struggled to generate quality offense despite limiting turnovers to 10. However, failing to get defensive stops consistently was a more significant challenge. The Bucks, led by Lillard’s 11 of 15 shooting performance and Antetokounmpo’s 13 of 20 shooting, proved too much for the depleted Mavericks. Milwaulee also dominated the glass, outrebounding the Mavericks 55-30, and shot 58.4% from the field compared to the Mavericks’ 45.9%.

“I thought the group did a good job,” Kidd said. “We had a stretch there in the second — maybe in the first — where we just missed shots.”

With injuries continuing to plague the team, the Mavericks will look to regroup for their next game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday. Thompson remained optimistic despite the ongoing challenges.

“We’re not even thinking about the playoff picture right now,” Thompson said. “We’re just thinking about Memphis on Friday and what we gotta do to protect home court.”