Luka Doncic, Dwight Powell Muscle Mavs Over Giannis’ Bucks

Both teams were coming off embarrassments. How would the Mavs and Bucks respond?

Behind the Milwaukee Bucks and the Dallas Mavericks? Blowout losses. Ahead of both powerful squads? The NBA Playoffs.

And in between? A Sunday matinee in Milwaukee that resulted in an impressively physical 118-112 Dallas win that serves as encouragement as the Mavs approach their postseason path.

Like the Mavs, the Bucks (now 48-30) were coming off an embarrassment, a loss to the Clippers in which they allowed a stunning 153 points.

Dallas, meanwhile, doesn’t have to know the feeling, as here it succeeded in rebounding from what coach Jason Kidd called an “ass-whooping” at Washington, led by just-traded Kristaps Porzingis.

But on Sunday? "The spirit was in a good place,” Kidd said. “We were happy. This group is always happy.”

Here, the Bucks were led by Giannis Antetokounmpo (28 points, 10 rebounds), but he did not out-duel fellow MVP candidate Luka Doncic. Doncic offered up 32 points, eight rebounds, 15 assists and three steals.

In fact, the “Greek Freak” struggled to deal with the hustling Dwight Powell, who dirty-worked his way to 22 points (on 8-of-10 shooting) and 13 rebounds while also sometimes wrestling Giannis into submission.

Giannis has lots of helpers on paper. Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez. Bobby Portis … But they were all swarmed over here by Kidd’s re-committed defense.

The Bucks had been playing well at home, winning six of their past seven in Milwaukee.

That makes what was accomplished here by Dallas (49-30) all the more impressive.

The Mavs were in third place in the West a couple of days ago. With some road woes healed here, they now take a tight grip on fourth.

Dallas earlier this week clinched a playoff spot for the third straight season. That’s an accomplishment. But that’s not the goal. To achieve something big, groundwork must continue to be put down. With talent and muscle, the Mavs put down a vaunted foe here … and earned another signature win in playoff preparation..

"We have to get back to the details of our defense, and that's what we're built on," said coach Kidd going into Sunday. "When you sometimes clinch, there's a time to relax, and I think we relaxed.”

This win suggests … That’s maybe the end of that.