Milwaukee Bucks: 3 keys to victory when hosting Dallas Mavericks

Third key – Giannis Antetokounmpo gets the better of Dallas’ interior defense

We’ve certainly detailed how the Mavericks could get the best of the Bucks’ improving defense. But Friday night will be a fascinating chess match with the Bucks standing as the league’s best offense and the Mavericks having the second-best defense behind the reigning champs, the Los Angeles Lakers.

At the center of this battle between the unstoppable force and the immovable object is how Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo factors into the proceedings.

The two-time MVP has certainly found his footing over the last couple of weeks and his consistency has increasingly matched his gaudy stat line for the season so far. And as one of the leading paint scorers around the league, Antetokounmpo will be facing up against one of the strongest interior defenses in the NBA as Dallas has limited their opponents to 42.2 paint points per game and are allowing the fourth-fewest shots in the restricted area so far this season.

However, they’ll be without some of the most impactful contributors to their defensive resurgence as all three of Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber and Josh Richardson are in the league’s safety and health protocols. Finney-Smith has often been tasked with guarding Antetokounmpo from the perimeter and Kleber’s strong rim protection has been key in altering or swatting away Antetokounmpo’s finishes at the basket.

This could be where we see James Johnson take on the role of being the Antetokounmpo stopper and Johnson and Antetokounmpo have had some chippy moments dating back to Johnson’s time in Miami. Either way, Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle will do everything in his power to keep the 26-year-old Greek superstar in check.

The Bucks’ clash with the Dallas Mavericks will tip off at 6:30 p.m. central time and you can catch the action on ESPN or on Fox Sports Wisconsin for those living in the area.