Heading into this week, the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers were the best teams in the National Basketball Association in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference respectively. Each team was at 24 wins and three losses. But then out of nowhere, the Bucks had their 18 game win streak snapped when they lost 120-116 to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday at home with Dallas not having their star player Luka Doncic in their lineup. Then, the Lakers lost 105-102 to the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, which snapped the Lakers remarkable 14 game winning streak on the road.
Let’s take a look at the Bucks loss first. After Milwaukee took an 8-1 lead to begin the game, the Mavericks responded well by outscoring the Bucks 35-14 in a span of nine minutes and 35 seconds to close out the first quarter. In this time frame, the Mavericks had seven three-pointers from five players. Dorian Finney-Smith and Kristaps Porzingis each had two three-pointers, while Justin Jackson, Jalen Brunson and Delon Wright each had one.
The Bucks did have 48 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, no other Bucks starters reached double digits in scoring. Porzingis had a solid game as he notched a double-double (26 points and 12 rebounds) and will be counted on more with the loss of Doncic, who is expected to miss two weeks with an ankle sprain.
In the Pacers win over the Lakers, Los Angeles was without Anthony Davis with an ankle injury. Malcolm Brogdon got the game-winning shot with 36.4 seconds left for Indiana to break a 102-102 tie. The Lakers then had a chance to tie it, but LeBron James missed his opportunity. The top Pacers player on the evening was Domantas Sabonis, who had 26 points and 10 rebounds.
It should be noted that the Mavericks (18-8) and Pacers (19-9) are good teams. They just were not expected to beat the Bucks and Lakers this week. Coincidentally, the Bucks and Lakers will play Thursday night in Milwaukee. The best record in the NBA will be at stake. One might think the Bucks and Lakers were overlooking their opponents this week heading into their elite matchup.
