Milwaukee Bucks vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction and Combined 5 - April 8th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The Milwaukee Bucks will lock horns with the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center tonight. Both teams will be looking to register a much-needed win, as the Bucks are coming off a narrow loss against the Golden State Warriors, while the Mavericks suffered a surprise defeat against a weak Houston Rockets team in their last game.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction
The Milwaukee Bucks hold the edge over the Dallas Mavericks, taking their form and their position in the Eastern Conference standings into consideration. The two teams met twice at the beginning of the campaign, with the Dallas Mavericks prevailing on both occasions. It is safe to say that Giannis Antetokounmpo and co. will have revenge on their minds.
The Mavs are expected to put up a fight, but the Milwaukee Bucks shouldn't have a problem in adding another win to their record.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Dallas Mavericks - Combined 5
Point Guard - Luka Doncic | Shooting Guard - Josh Richardson | Small Forward - Khris Middleton | Power Forward - Giannis Antetokounmpo | Center- Kristaps Porzingis
In a Milwaukee Bucks-Dallas Mavericks combined 5, Slovenian sensation Luka Doncic makes the team at the expense of Milwaukee Bucks' offseason acquisition Jrue Holiday. Both players have looked in great touch, but Doncic's value to his team, which is highlighted by his season average of 28 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds, makes him an automatic favorite for the point guard spot.
For the 2-guard position, it is a toss up between two role players - Josh Richardson of the Dallas Mavericks and Donte DiVincenzo of Milwaukee Bucks. Both players have had an underwhelming season, but Richardson narrowly edges out DiVincenzo due to his better statistics and defense.
Selecting Khris Middleton at the small forward spot is a no-brainer, as the former G-League star has played the secondary scorer role for the Milwaukee Bucks to perfection. He has put up an impressive 20 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds on 43.7% shooting from downtown through the season, and is averaging a steal per game.
Also Read: Creating the strongest starting 5 featuring NBA players who never won a championship
Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo takes up the 4 without any debate. His fantastic season averages clearly justify his selection - 28 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists per game with a telling contribution of a steal and a block on the defensive end as well. Antetokounmpo has tormented teams so far, and is one of the contenders to win the NBA MVP award.
At center, Dallas Mavericks' European star Kristaps Porzingis faces competition from Milwaukee Bucks' defensive anchor Brook Lopez. Porzingis gets the nod over Lopez thanks to the Unicorn's overall impact this season, averaging 20 points, 9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks on a respectable 36.5% shooting from behind the 3-point arc.
Also Read: 2020-21 NBA season: How does the NBA play-in tournament work?