Mavericks’ lethargic free throw shooting down the stretch proves costly in 106-105 loss to Giannis, Milwaukee
Andre Johnson 
MAVS MELTDOWN
Luka Dončić and Spencer Dinwiddie threw down a combined three electrifying dunks in the second half against the Milwaukee Bucks that sent the Mavericks’ bench and the announced sellout crowd in American Airlines Center into a frenzy Friday night.
But on this night, it was Dallas’ inability to convert free throws during the game’s crucial stretch that ultimately left the door open for the visiting Bucks, who escaped, 106-105.
Milwaukee eased out to the final margin when veteran big man Brook Lopez fielded a perfectly-timed inbounds lob from George Hill for an uncontested layup with 7.8 seconds remaining.
The Mavericks, meanwhile (13-12), allowed 5.4 seconds to elapse before calling time out with just 2.4 seconds left. Trailing by one, Dončić subsequently misfired badly on a desperation 3-point attempt as time expired.
“There was two seconds. It’s a tough shot,” Dončić said. “We’ve got to work on that. We tried to change and they pre-switched. I think it was a miscommunication on the players’ side. We wanted him to switch so I didn’t have Jrue (Holiday) on me.”
In witnessing their three-game winning streak end in disheartening fashion, the Mavericks essentially let this one slip away after converting an uncharacteristic 7-of-15 free throws in the pivotal fourth, including five consecutive missed shots from the charity stripe by Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dorian Finney-Smith over the game’s final 2:55 — this after Dallas took an 84-73 lead into the final frame.
For the game, the Mavericks shot 10-of-24 from the free throw line, which equates to a dismal 41.7 percent.
“If you’re shooting 42 percent, that’s not very good…10-for-24,” Mavericks 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.”
In a battle of the NBA’s top two scorers, it was Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo who helped propel the Bucks to their fourth consecutive win and complete the season sweep of the Mavs.
Antetokounmpo, in fact, managed to erase the memory of his lethargic play in the first half that resulted in the “Greek Freak” registering just five points on 2-of-10 shooting.
That’s because Antetokounmpo, the league’s second leading scorer (31.9 points per game), was his usual reliable self after intermission, scoring 15 of his team-high 28 points in the fourth before drawing contact with Hardaway Jr. on his 3-point attempt and fouling out at the 2:55 mark.
Milwaukee (19-6) outscored Dallas, 33-21, over the game’s final 12 minutes.
“Yeah, again, I thought the bodies in front of Giannis…you’re not going to stop him,” Kidd said. “He’s going to get his looks and he’s going to score, but I thought we made it tough on him. We tried to show multiple bodies and make him a passer. He’s seen all the defenses, but I thought the guys did a really good job trying to keep guys in front of him. But he’s still going to get to the basket. He’s so long and he played a really good game there in the second half.”
CHARITY STRIPE STRUGGLES
As usual, Dallas was led by Dončić, the league’s leading scorer (32.9 ppg), who registered a game-best 33 points on 13-of-28 shooting in 36-plus minutes for the Mavs, who lost in their arena for only the fourth time in 14 tries on the season.
Dinwiddie finished with 15 points on 5-of-13 field goals and was the only other starter to score in double figures for Dallas, which travels to Chicago Saturday night at 7 p.m. CST.
The Bucks, meanwhile, relied on its balanced attack, which gave way to four starters scoring in double figures.
Besides Antetokounmpo’s huge second-half display, Khris Middleton scored 19 points, Holiday managed 17 points and a team-best six assists, and Grayson Allen added 12 points for Milwaukee, which completes its weekend Texas trip with a game at Houston Sunday at 6 p.m. CST.
Christian Wood finished with 14 points on 6-of-14 shooting and was the lone reserve to score in double figures for the Mavs, who dropped from sixth to the seventh spot in the Western Conference standings after Friday’s setback. — Andre Johnson
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