A brilliant 132-117 win for the Milwaukee Bucks over the Dallas Mavericks takes them to a 34-25 record and fourth in the Eastern Conference.
This is the first time the Bucks have been nine games above .500 this season, winning six of their last seven and starting to put wins together against teams over .500. Kyle Kuzma, Kevin Porter Jr. and Jericho Sims have all been great additions, but the duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard is getting stronger by the game.
Giannis finished Saturday night's game just shy of a 30-point triple-double, scoring 29 points and adding nine rebounds and nine assists on 9-for-14 (64.3 percent) shooting. Lillard added 28 points of his own with six rebounds, six assists and two steals on 8-for-17 (47.1 percent) from the field.
Having this greatest strength - Antetokounmpo and Lillard - in full force will give the Bucks a chance against anyone come playoff time. With other pieces starting to fit together around the duo, Giannis and Lillard aren't to be taken lightly in the final stretch of the season.
The Bucks are ramping up at the right time behind Giannis and Dame
Milwaukee has won five of their six games since All-Star break, losing narrowly to the Houston Rockets in a game where they caused their own downfall with silly mistakes. Convincing wins over the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets and now Mavericks have started to give fans more hope for the postseason as they are now showing the ability to take down other playoff contenders.
One criticism early on was the Milwaukee Bucks being able to beat the teams towards the bottom end of the standings but losing to the top end teams. They are still yet to beat any of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks.
Some of that is down to Kuzma, Sims and Porter not being on the roster, so not having the athleticism that has now become so prominent on the roster. Having that has helped make the game easier for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard and relieve some pressure on the two of them.
When playing alongside each other, Lillard is averaging 23.8 points, 6.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds. In those 107 games together, Giannis is averaging 30.5 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per StatMuse.
For total points of all players this season, the duo comes in fifth as the best scoring teammates behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams of the OKC Thunder, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Knicks, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray of the Nuggets and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown of the Celtics.
With the two of them on the court, there is no doubt that the Milwaukee Bucks are still a threat, but now with scoring options off the bench in Gary Trent Jr and Porter, Brook Lopez not being as exposed on the perimeter with Kuzma, Giannis and Lillard are backed up by better depth than they had before the trade deadline.
Saturday night was the fifth time since the trade deadline they have had six or more double-digit scorers. Prior to the trade deadline, that only happened on seven occasions, showing the Bucks have progressed swiftly following those moves.
The pick-and-roll is still strong between the duo, but they both have the ability to create for themselves, especially with Giannis adding a very smooth mid-range game. Lillard can get the ball on a handoff and is not afraid to take a three regardless of who's contesting it. Giannis is so dominant in the paint that he can either bully his defender or attract attention and kick it out to the plethora of shooters the Milwaukee Bucks have.
Last season may not have ended how the Bucks wanted with their first-round playoff exit and both stars being hurt, but this season, they have already shown their ability to win when it matters with the NBA Cup. Now, they are rolling down the stretch. Teams won't want to face the duo in a playoff setting.
Milwaukee's schedule is still very tough and will be a test of how good they really are, with the Mavs, Lakers twice, Warriors, Nuggets and Timberwolves all to play out West. They face the Pacers twice more and have matchups with the Cavaliers and Knicks where they will want to beat both and not head into the postseason without a win against any of the top three East teams.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks news and analysis.