The Milwaukee Bucks kept it close with the Dallas Mavericks almost from wire-to-wire, but surprisingly failed execution down the stretch ultimately doomed them to a 112-118 loss.
A hot-shooting Bucks team came out of the tunnel to tipoff this one, nailing 8/14 of their three-pointers to open up a modest 33-25 advantage after one. That 3-point luck quickly disappeared in the second quarter, with Dallas killing the Bucks at the rim and having a few of their own deep shots rattle in to take a 57-55 lead at halftime. Milwaukee re-gained the lead in the third period for a brief spell, but a series of three-pointers in response by the Mavericks counteracted an improved offensive period.