Two leading early-season MVP candidates, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo put on a show Friday night.
But with the game on the line, the Mavericks missed their free throws, opening the door for a Brook Lopez game-winning layup.
It was entertaining, with two of the game’s superstars living up to the billing — Doncic finished with 33 points and 11 assists, and hit a go-ahead layup with :29 seconds left that looked like it might seal the Mavericks win. Antetokounmpo finished the game with 28 points but was not on the court for Doncic’s late-game shot as he fouled out with 2:55 remaining.
The league's top 2 scorers (Luka & Giannis) did not disappoint, delivering a duel in a game that came down to Brook Lopez's game-winner!@luka7doncic: 33 PTS, 6 REB, 11 AST, 2 STL@Giannis_An34: 28 PTS, 10 REB pic.twitter.com/r5WRZNoXSY
— NBA (@NBA) December 10, 2022
Dallas did itself in down the stretch missing free throws. For example, when Antetokounmpo fouled out Tim Hardaway Jr. missed all three from the charity stripe. Later Dorian Finney-Smith missed two free throws in the final seconds that could have sealed the win. Overall Dallas was 7-of-15 from the line in the fourth quarter and 10-of-24 for the game.
All that opened the door for the Bucks to have a chance, and defensive lapse let Brook Lopez walk right in and take advantage.
Brook Lopez's game-winner 🔥#FearTheDeer https://t.co/V83QUvkN8j pic.twitter.com/GI5PCUeJFd
— NBA (@NBA) December 10, 2022
This angle of Brook Lopez’s game-winner 🔥 pic.twitter.com/78BuAJDsW1
— NBA (@NBA) December 10, 2022
The win was the Bucks’ fourth straight win as they improved to 19-6 on the season. The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the 13-12 Mavericks.