The Dallas Mavericks (26-23) were rolling in the first quarter on Saturday night. They scored a season-high 44 points and led by 24 points at the end of the quarter. Dallas shot 61% from the field in the first.
As good as they were in the first quarter, they were just as bad in the second. Milwaukee (33-16) finally got going. They had a 40-point quarter and outscored the Mavericks 40-21, but the Mavs took a 65-60 lead at the break.
The Bucks, who shot 75% in the second quarter, outscored the Mavs 69-52 in the second half and defeated Dallas 129-117 at American Airlines Center.
Dallas did not have any answers for Milwaukee’s two best players.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a game-high 48 points (20-28 FG, 2-5 3FG, 6-10 FT), six rebounds, 10 assists, five steals, and one block, and Damian Lillard added 30 points (10-11 FG, 5-5 3FG, 5-6 FT), three rebounds, eight assists and one block. His 30 points on 10-of-11 shooting marked the most efficient 30-point game of his career.
The duo combined for 78 points.
“When Dame (Damian Lillard) only misses one shot and Giannis [Antetokounmpo] goes 20-28, that can put you in a bad way, and those guys took advantage of that,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said.
After allowing 20 points in the first quarter, Dallas allowed 109 points over the final three quarters, and Luka Doncic, who added 40 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists, pointed to the team’s defense on why things fell apart for Dallas.
“I think our defense, we held them to 20 points in the first quarter,” Doncic said.
Maxi Kleber, who added a season-high 21 points, agreed with Doncic that the Mavs needed to play better defense.
“I’d say we got hot in the first quarter and cooled down a little bit in the second quarter,” Kleber said. “That’s when we have to maintain the lead. Even though we made shots in the first, we got stops, and we didn’t do it in the second quarter.”
It’s a make-or-miss league, and the Mavericks made nine threes in the first, but the 7/25 from deep the rest of the way.
Doncic believes Dallas has to stop settling for threes and attack the rim.
“Obviously, we shoot a lot of threes,” he said. “I think sometimes we need to attack more.”
Dallas will embark on a three-game east coast road trip, starting Monday in Philly against the 76ers. The Mavs are currently the eighth seed in the West and are three games up on the 10th-seeded Rockets, so they must play well on this upcoming trip.
LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo were named captains in the 2023 All-Star Game at Vivint Arena in Utah, the league announced Thursday.
In the East, Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Donovan Mitchell were named starters, while in the West, James will be joined by Nikola Jokic, Zion Williamson, Luka Doncic, and Stephen Curry in the starting lineup.
James(7,418,116), who made his NBA-record-tying 19th All-Star appearance, was the leading vote-getter overall, and Antetokounmpo(6,761,032) was the leading vote-getter in the East.
Fans, current NBA players, and a media panel selected starters for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. Fans accounted for 50 percent of the vote to determine the starters, while players and media accounted for 25 percent each.
Each player’s score was calculated by averaging his weighted rank from the fan votes, the player votes and the media votes. The two guards and three frontcourt players with the best score in each conference were named NBA All-Star Game starters.
The All-Star reserves will be named on February 2, and the NBA All-Star game will take place on February 19. On that night, James and Antetokounmpo will select their teammates.
Notes:
-At 23, Doncic joins Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Isiah Thomas, and Anthony Davis as the only players to earn four All-Star nods before their 24th birthday.
-This is Mitchell’s fourth NBA All-Star selection and his first time being selected as a starter.
-Williamson, who is also an All-Star starter for the first time his career, becomes the fourth New Orleans player to be voted a starter, joining Chris Paul (twice), Anthony Davis (x3), and DeMarcus Cousins.
The Cavs(22-11) continued their six-game homestand on Wednesday night against the Bucks(22-9), and for the first time in three games, Cleveland defeated Milwaukee 114-106.
Cleveland has now won five straight.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ big win over the Bucks.
Great:
Donovan Mitchell was sensational again; he had 36 points, four rebounds, and six assists. He feasted at the line as he was 15/16 from the stripe. Mitchell has scored 20-plus points in nine straight games.
Darius Garland also brought it for the Cavs; he had 23 points. The Cavs backcourt combined for 59 points.
Jarrett Allen was efficient, proficient, and just got the job done. He had 19 points on 7/9 shooting and eight rebounds.
Defense: Cleveland did a solid job on the defensive end. They created 16 of Milwaukee’s 21 turnovers in the first half, and Cleveland had 22 points off those 21 turnovers.
In addition, they held the Bucks to 40% shooting in the first half. Cavs led 60-42 at halftime.
Not So Great:
Fourth Quarter: The Cavs let the Bucks creep back in this one in the fourth. The Bucks outscored the Cavs 29-21 in the quarter. Cleveland shot only 33% from the floor, including 0/5 from deep. The Cavs led by as many as 25 points in the third and 16 in the fourth. Milwaukee cut the lead to five late, but Garland made a fadeaway and two free throws, and the Cavs held on.
Bottom Line:
This is a big win for the Cavs. Yes, Khris Middleton didn’t play for Milwaukee, and even without Middleton, the Bucks are still an outstanding basketball team, so again, a good win for the Cavs.
As we look at the standings in the East, we see the Cavs moving on up. With the win, the third-seeded Cavs are now one game behind the Bucks for the top spot in the East and 1/2 game behind the second-seeded Celtics.
Cleveland is taking advantage of this home cooking and is 16-2 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, which is the best home record in the NBA.
What’s Next:
Cleveland continues their six-game homestand on Friday night against the Raptors.
Best of the Rest:
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a season-high 45 points and 14 rebounds; he also added two blocks; Jrue Holiday had nine points, a season-high nine rebounds, and eight assists.
Lamar Stevens miss his third game with knee soreness.
With just under three minutes to go, the Dallas Mavericks caught a break when the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo fouled out after fouling Tim Hardaway Jr. on a three-pointer. At the time, the Bucks led 102-101.
Unfortunately for the Mavericks, Hardaway Jr. missed all three free throws.
With under 30 seconds left in the fourth, Luka Doncic made a finger roll that gave the Mavs a 105-104 lead.
After Dallas got a stop on defense, that free throw issue would plague them again as Dorian Finney-Smith missed two free throws.
Ultimately, Brook Lopez would have wide open alley opp layup with 07.9 seconds left. Dallas would have one last chance, but Doncic’s three was off at the buzzer, and Milwaukee would defeat the Mavs 106-105 at American Airlines Center.
With the loss, the Mavs’ three-game winning streak is over.
Dallas was 10/24(42%) from the free throw line, including six straight misses in the final 3:41 of the game and eight misses in the fourth quarter; those missed free throws cost this team in the end.
“If you’re shooting 42%, that’s not very good, 10-for-24,” Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said. “In a one-point ballgame, the small things matter. I think in the fourth, we were 7-for-15. So, we’re getting to the line, especially there late. We’ve got to step up. We do practice free throws all the time, and it’s a part of the game. It’s just unfortunate we didn’t make them at the right time.”
Doncic, who had a game-high 33 points to go with six rebounds and a game-best 11 assists, but was 4/10 from the line, added on the free throw woes: “I think we’ve just got to practice, and me the first one. I’ve got to set the tempo for my teammates. They look to me. If I have energy, then they have energy. It starts with me. Got to make the free throws. It’s a free shot; no one is guarding you, so you just got to take your time and knock it in.”
Lopez getting wide open on the game-winning layin was also unacceptable for the Mavs. It appeared there was a mixup between Maxi Kleber and Finney-Smith that allowed Lopez to spring open.
Doncic is unsure what happened.
“I don’t know, man,” he said about Lopez getting open. “We just got to go back and look at it. Obviously, that can’t happen – an open layup. We’ve just got to go back and look at what happened and look at what went wrong.”
According to Finney-Smith, he was the one who messed up.
“I should have switched it,’ he said. “We’ve got to call that. That’s on me. Especially being a defender, I should have let go on the free throws and stayed in the moment, but they made a good play.”
According to Kidd, there was not supposed to be a switch.
“Yeah, it was a breakdown defensively. Give them credit. They ran a great play and got an easy look. They set a great screen, great pass. Give them credit.”
The breakdown on defense and bad free throw shooting cost the Mavericks. Fortunately or unfortunately, they will play in less than 24 hours as they head on the road to battle the Bulls on Saturday night and what Kidd calls a “doubleheader.”
It should be interesting to see how much energy they’ll have on the second half of a back-to-back.
The Cleveland Cavaliers(12-7) began their three-game road trip in Milwaukee against the Bucks(13-5), and as they did earlier in the season in Milwaukee, the Cavs fell to the Bucks 117-102, which snapped Cleveland’s four-game winning streak.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Bucks.
Great:
First Half Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland: Mitchell had 21 of his team-high 29 points for the Cavs in the first half, and Garland added 17 of his 20 points for the Cavs in the first half. The two combined for 38 of the team’s 63 first-half points, but like the rest of the group, the two struggled in the second half. Mitchell was 8/15 from the floor, while Garland was 6/11 in the first half. However, in the second half, Micthell was 3/9, while Garland was 1/7 from the field.
Not So Great:
Third Quarter: Cleveland led 63-52 at the break and led by as many as 16 points, but the third quarter turned everything around for the Bucks. Milwaukee outscored the Cavs 35-10 in the third. Giannis Antetokounmpo had nine of his game-high 38 points in the quarter. The Cavs shot an abysmal 17% from the field, while the Bucks shot 58%, including 5/6 from deep. A 16-point first-half lead for Cleveland turned into a 14-point deficit as the Bucks led 87-73 at the end three, and the game was essentially over.
In their two wins over the Cavs this season, Milwaukee has outscored Cleveland 69-28 in the third.
Bottom Line
Cleveland got the start they wanted, but unfortunately, they did not get the third quarter they wanted, and ultimately, they didn’t get the win. The Bucks blitzed them, and the Cavs did not respond as their road struggles continued. Cleveland is now 4-6 on the road.
What’s Next:
The Cavs head to Detroit to battle the Pistons on Sunday.
Best of the Rest:
-Jarrett Allen injured his hip after a scary fall in the first quarter. Allen went for an Antetokounmpo pump fake and fell over him. He would return. However, he only played four minutes in the second half.
-Lamar Stevens missed Friday’s game due to illness. Dean Wade stepped in for Stevens and had seven points and 12 rebounds.
-Caris LeVert missed his third straight game with an ankle injury; Kevin Love(thumb) missed his second consecutive game.
-Jevon Carter had 18 points, including five threes for Milwaukee: Along with his 38 points(22 in the first half), Antetokounmpo added nine rebounds, six assists, and two blocks.
The Cavs were hoping to snap their four-game losing streak on Wednesday night in Milwaukee against the Bucks. Fortunately for Cleveland, they got back their leading scorer Donovan Mitchell(ankle), who missed Sunday’s loss against the Timberwolves. However, they were still without Jarrett Allen(illness) and Dean Wade(knee).
Cleveland(8-6) trailed the Bucks(11-3) by as many as 20 points in this one; they cut the lead to nine in the fourth but could not get any closer as they fell to Milwaukee 113-98 at Fiserv Forum.
The Cavs have now lost five straight; Milwaukee snapped a two-game losing streak.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Bucks.
Great:
Evan Mobley had 20 points on an efficient 9/14 from the field, with seven rebounds and two blocks. Mobley started at center for Allen.
Cavs Backcourt: Darius Garland(8/20, 5/9 3FG) and Donovan Mitchell(7/19, 3/9 3FG) scored 23 points apiece for the Cavs, which was nearly half of the team’s points. In addition, the two combined for 11 assists as Garland led the team with eight dimes.
Not So Great:
Third Quarter: Bucks led the Cavs 61-60 at the break but took complete control of the game in the third. They outscored the Bucks 34-18 in the quarter and had the largest lead of the game at 91-71 in the quarter. Brook Lopez(7/9 3FG) was on fire as he scored 11 of his game-high 29 points in the third. The Bucks were sizzling in the third as they shot 60% from the field. On the contrary, Cleveland shot 29% from the floor.
Defense: Cleveland did not get the job done on the defensive end. Milwaukee shot 53% for the first three quarters and easily got into the lane. Just way too many open looks for the Bucks, and they capitalized on it.
Bottom Line:
There is no shame in losing to the Bucks on the road, but Milwaukee was without Jrue Holiday(ankle) and Khris Middleton(wrist), so this was an opportunity for the Cavs to steal a win. However, that’s hard to do when the defensive energy is not where it needs to be. Hopefully, the Cavs can get it right during their upcoming four-game homestand.
What’s Next:
Cleveland starts a four-game homestand at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday when they host the Charlotte Hornets.
Best of the Rest:
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 16 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists for the Bucks; Jordan Nwora added 21 points(5/9 3FG) off the bench.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum have been selected to the 2021-22 All-NBA First Team, the league announced Tuesday.
The All-NBA Second Team consists of Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, and Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan.
The 2021-22 All-NBA Third Team is composed of Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James , Suns guard Chris Paul , Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam.
Antetokounmpo was the only player to receive All-NBA First Team votes on all 100 ballots (500 total points), earning his fourth consecutive selection to the First Team and sixth All-NBA Team honor overall (First Team, Second Team and Third Team). This is the third All-NBA First Team selection each for Doncic and Jokic, the 2021-22 NBA Most Valuable Player. Booker is making his debut on the All-NBA Team, and Tatum joins Booker as a first-time selection to the All-NBA First Team.
With the selection of Antetokounmpo (27 years old), Doncic (23), Jokic (27), Booker (25) and Tatum (24), the All-NBA First Team is made up entirely of players age 27 or younger for the first time in 67 years (1954-55 season).
Embiid, the 2021-22 NBA scoring champion, has been named to the All-NBA Second Team for the fourth time in the last five seasons. Morant, the 2021-22 NBA Most Improved Player, is an All-NBA Team honoree for the first time. This is the 10th All-NBA Team selection for Durant, the eighth for Curry and the third for DeRozan.
This is the second All-NBA Team honor for both Towns and Siakam and the first for Young. James has extended his NBA record for most All-NBA Team selections to 18. Paul has been voted to the All-NBA Team for the 11th time, the second-most selections among active players behind James.
For the second straight season, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić has been named the 2021-22 NBA Most Valuable Player, the league announced Wednesday.
He becomes the 13th player to win the award in consecutive seasons. The last player to win back-to-back MVP awards was Giannis Antetokounmpo(2019-2020).
Jokić received 875 points (65 first-place votes); Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid finished in second place with 706 points (26 first-place votes), and Antetokounmpo finished in third place with 595 points (nine first-place votes).
According to StatMuse, Jokic’s 65 first-place votes are the fewest for an MVP since Steve Nash in 2005-06.
The 27-year-old Jokić averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.47 steals, and 0.85 blocks per game, setting career highs in each category except assists (second highest). The seven-year veteran, who played 74 games and averaged 33.5 minutes, ranked sixth in the NBA in points, second in rebounds, eighth in assists, 12th steals, and 33rd in blocks per game.
He became the first player in NBA history to record at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a season and the first player to average at least 25.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in a season. He led the NBA in triple-doubles with 19 and double-doubles with 66(both single-season team records).
This is the first time that both the top three and four of the top five finishers in voting for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award are international players, with Jokić (Serbia), Embiid (Cameroon), and Antetokounmpo (Greece) comprising the top three and Dončić (Slovenia) joining them in the top five. Jokić is the second European player to win the award more than once, joining Antetokounmpo, the MVP in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
You could make a case for Embiid, Antetokounmpo, or Jokić as the league MVP, but in the end, Jokić gets the nod.
The voting results for the 2021-22 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award are below:
After a long wait, Cavs center Jarrett Allen finally got the call for the 2022 All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. Allen, who made the game for the first time in his career as a reserve, along with his teammate Darius Garland, is having a career year as he ranks among NBA leaders in FG% (2nd, .665), double-doubles (T-6th, 30), and RPG (10th, 11.1).
In addition, he’s recorded ten games this season of 15-plus points and 15-plus rebounds, and when he records a double-double, Cleveland is 25-5.
All told, Allen, 23, is averaging career-highs in points (16.2), rebounds (11.0), and assists (1.8) per game.
“It’s still a lot to take in,” Allen said of making the All-Star Game. “I don’t think I’ve fully grasped the moment that I’m in. I’m part of the top 24 players in the NBA at this All-Star Weekend, so I’m just excited; I’m ready to take it all in and just enjoy every moment.”
The five-year veteran has turned himself into one of the better centers in basketball and discussed what it’s like to guard the better bigs in the game like Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid.
On Antetokounmpo:
“I always find it a fun matchup guarding Giannis. He has so many things to his game. He’s starting to add his jump shot to the game. Obviously, he’s a force going to the paint, so it’s an awesome matchup.”
On Jokic:
“Truly difficult to cover. If you let your guard down even for a split second, he’s going to make a pass to the corner. If you let your guard down for a split second, he’s going to somehow do three spin moves on you and have an open lay-up at the rim. He just has so many things to his package that you have to guard.”
On Embiid:
“I mean, obviously, Embiid had the triple-double on me, but Embiid is a brute. Embiid is going to back down; he’s going to punish you, and he has all the skill, but at the same time, Jokic might have a 15-15-15 night. Both matchups are tough.”
At this point, Cleveland(35-23) is the fourth seed in the East and is 2.5 games behind the Bulls and the Heat for the top spot in the conference. Many teams are bunched up in the East, and only five games separate the seventh-seeded Raptors from the Bulls and the Heat.
“I mean, you look at the East, it’s like you win three games, and now you’re all of a sudden a seven seed,” Allen said. “It’s a crazy race, and it’s those big moves that could change a lot.”
So much could change from this point until the end of the season. With 24 games left, Cleveland is in a prime position to do big things in the East. We’ll see how that works out the rest of the way, but for now, Allen should enjoy All-Star Weekend in Cleveland.
On Wednesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers ended their three-game homestand in style against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Cleveland routed the Buck 115-99 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
With the win, the Cavs(30-19) have won three straight and eight of their last nine, while Milwaukee’s(30-20) three-game winning streak was snapped.
Here is the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ big win over the Bucks.
The Great for the Cavaliers:
Kevin Love and Cedi Osman: The difference makers off the Cavs’ bench against the Bucks. Love led the team with 25 points, including five threes and nine rebounds. It was Love’s second straight 20-plus point game.
Osman scored 18 of 23 points in the first half, including a career-high-tying six threes. The five-year veteran also had a milestone as he grabbed his 1,000th career rebound.
Osman gave the Cavs a significant lift in the second quarter as he scored 15 points(most points he’s had in a quarter in his career), including four threes. Osman had a combined 21 points in the previous four games, but he busted out Wednesday night.
Because of the contributions of Love and Osman, Cleveland’s bench outscored Milwaukee’s bench 57-15.
-Darius Garland continues to play at an All-Star level. He had 19 points and eight assists. Garland battled a back injury throughout the contest, but he gutted it through and led the team.
-Evan Mobley was in double figures for the 16th straight game as he had 16 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks.
-Jarrett Allen returned after missing Monday’s win over the Knicks with an illness. He had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. It was Allen’s fifth double-double in his last six appearances.
Second and Third Quarters: The Bucks shot 73.7% from the floor and led 35-26 after one quarter. Then, Osman and Love happened in the second quarter, and the Cavs woke up.
Cleveland shot 50% from the field and made seven threes(7/12) in the second. Love and Osman combined for 21 of Cleveland’s 39 points in the quarter. Milwaukee led the Cavs 37-26 at the 11:41 mark of the second quarter. Cleveland would outscore the Bucks 36-14 to take their largest lead in the quarter of 11 points(62-51).
Cleveland outscored the Bucks 39-22 in the second quarter and took a 65-57 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Cavs continued to dominate the world champions. Cleveland outscored the Bucks 30-20 in the quarter and held Milwaukee to 26.3% from the field, including 1/7 from deep.
The Cavaliers outscored the Bucks 69-42 in the second and third quarters. Cleveland led Milwaukee 95-77 after three quarters. The Cavs had their largest lead of 21 points in the third.
The Not So Great for the Cavaliers:
You beat the world champions by 16 points; it’s all good in the Land.
Bottom Line:
Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the team’s victory over the Nets on MLK Day was a signature win. Well, this win was probably better. Here’s why: First, the Bucks are 18-3 this season when Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday are in the lineup. Next, Milwaukee was on a three-game winning streak, and finally, the Cavs not only beat the Bucks, but they blew them out, so yes, this is the Cavs’ signature win of the season.
Cleveland is the third seed in the East and is now 1.5 games behind the Heat for the top spot in the conference. The Cavs are for real, and if they keep winning, maybe they can grab the top spot in the East.
“We take on all challenges,” Bickerstaff said of the Cavs. “We don’t run from anybody. We don’t back down. We give everybody our best shot.”
What’s Next:
Cleveland will have a few days off before they travel to Detroit to battle the Pistons Sunday night.
Best of the Rest:
-Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with a game-high 26 points. He also added nine rebounds and three assists. Bobby Portis had 22 points, and Middleton added 21.
-Cleveland had six players in double figures against the Bucks. The Cavs recorded 19 threes in this one.
-In their last 12 games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Cavs are 10-2.
Watch below as Love, Osman, and Allen react to the big win over the Bucks:
