“Giannis Was Just Torching Us in the Paint”: Luka Doncic Commends Bucks Superstar’s 40 Point Performance Against Mavericks

The Milwaukee Bucks have extended their winning streak to four games after defeating the Dallas Mavericks 132-125 yesterday night. Giannis Antetokounmpo played exceptionally well to lead his side to victory against Luka Doncic and Co., scoring a double-double of 40 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists. The Mavs superstar had to admit Antetokounmpo’s dominance inside the paint after the disappointing loss at Fiserv Forum.

Damian Lillard was also crucial in the win, helping the Bucks add another 27 points, 12 assists, and 3 rebounds for the win. On the other side, Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic, alongside Kyrie Irving, totaled a staggering 74 points on a losing effort.

After the game, the Slovenian seemed quite impressed with Giannis’ 40-point performance and addressed the same in the post-game conference. Doncic reflected on Giannis’s dominance in the paint, which contributed heavily to the two-time MVP’s massive points tally. Luka said, “Giannis was just torching us in the paint. I don’t know how many paint points he had, but he had a lot. Obviously, it’s really tough to stop him, but he was just getting into the paint a lot.”

“Giannis was just torching us in the paint. I don’t know how many paint points he had, but he had a lot. Obviously, it’s really tough to stop him, but he was just getting… pic.twitter.com/UjSL4GjRSr

— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) November 19, 2023

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving were the top scorers for the Mavs, scoring 35 and 39 points, respectively, for the team. The Bucks were coming off of a back-to-back win yesterday after defeating the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. On the other hand, the Mavericks had just defeated the Washington Wizards last Wednesday, only to record a loss against the Bucks.

The Bucks and the Mavericks both have a 9-4 record in the league, standing third in their respective Conferences.

Kyrie Irving recaps the Mavericks’ defensive breakdowns after a loss against the Bucks

Though Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic played in wonderful sync last night, it wasn’t enough to grant them a win against the Bucks. The game was nail-biting till the end, only for the Bucks to win by seven points in the end. In the post-game press conference, veteran Kyrie Irving recognized some crucial defensive errors that cost the Mavs this game.

Irving admitted that though the team had good defensive principles overall, their turnovers made the Bucks privy to a lot of scoring opportunities. In the game’s final quarter, the Mavs allowed several turnovers that allowed the Bucks to score corner threes and led to Giannis Antetokounmpo draining free throws.

Kyrie Irving highlighted some defensive breakdowns by the Dallas Mavericks, resulting in open 3s for timely makes by the Milwaukee Bucks:

“We did a good job coming out of halftime with that energy and verve we normally have. We were playing good defensive principals, and they… pic.twitter.com/lDVrPTOu02

— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) November 19, 2023

The Mavs, however, do not seem very disheartened with this performance. Kyrie Irving positively assessed his team’s game and is looking forward to facing the Sacramento Kings next. As he concluded his press conference, the veteran guard agreed that the team learned several valuable lessons to end the night at Wisconsin yesterday.