Mavericks at Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks look to put together a second consecutive wins as they host the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. The Bucks recorded a 109-104 win over Cleveland on Wednesday and are aiming for their first two-game winning streak in a 24-game span dating back to last season. "All season long, this is how it's going to be," forward Caron Butler told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "We're going to have to grind every game out like this."
Dallas enters play Saturday losers of two straight and winless in three tries on the road so far this season. "We've got to bond together and we've got to do things better as a whole," coach Rick Carlisle told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram after falling to Minnesota on Friday. "It's that simple." On the bright side, point guard Jose Calderon had his best game since signing with the Mavericks this summer in Friday's loss, scoring 21 points and dishing out seven assists.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Dallas), FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (3-3): Monta Ellis, who spent 1 1/2 seasons in Milwaukee before joining the Mavericks as a free agent in the off-season, is Dallas' leading scorer at 23.8 points per game. Dirk Nowitzki, who managed only 14 points against Minnesota, is averaging 18.5 points through six games after a 2012-13 campaign that yielded his lowest scoring output (17.3 points per game) since 1998-99. Calderon shot 6-of-8 from 3-point range on Friday and is 11-of-16 from beyond the arc in his last three games after starting the season with 11 misses in 15 attempts.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (2-2): O.J. Mayo, who averaged 15.3 points per game with the Mavericks last season after four seasons in Memphis, will face his former team for the first time on Saturday but seems to have put his lone season in Dallas behind him. "I forgot all about it, man. It's another year. I've got a short memory span." Mayo leads the Bucks in scoring at 16.3 points after scoring 28 and going 6-for-7 from 3-point range against the Cavaliers. Fellow shooting guard Gary Neal has pitched in an average of 15.3 points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Dallas ranks second in the NBA in scoring (109.7 points per game) but second-to-last on the opposite end, allowing opponents an average of 108 points.
2. Milwaukee C Larry Sanders sat out against Cleveland after an incident at a local bar the previous weekend and is listed as doubtful against Dallas with an injury to his right thumb.
3. Mavericks G Vince Carter is expected back against the Bucks after serving a one-game suspension against Minnesota for elbowing Oklahoma City C Steven Adams in the head on Wednesday.