The Dallas Mavericks will try to beat the Milwaukee Bucks for the second time in five days when the teams tangle Sunday in Dallas. Monta Ellis hit a buzzer-beater to lift the Mavericks to a 107-105 win over his former team Wednesday, capping a five-game winning streak that was snapped with a 118-106 loss to Phoenix two nights later. Milwaukee snapped a three-game skid with an impressive 109-85 win over Miami on Friday and sits sixth in the Eastern Conference.
The Mavericks won despite resting star Dirk Nowitzki on Wednesday, thanks to a huge fourth quarter from Ellis and a double-double from Tyson Chandler. The Bucks led that game by eight points with 4:23 left before Ellis scored eight of his 23 points in the final four minutes. The Mavericks are seventh in the loaded Western Conference, but they're only three games behind Golden State, which owns the league's best record.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (11-10): Milwaukee quietly has amassed one of the deepest rosters in the league, getting an NBA-best 45.3 points per game from the bench. Point guard Brandon Knight (17.7 points, 5.8 assists) leads five players who average double-digit scoring while rookie Jabari Parker (12.3 points, 5.9 rebounds) has made an immediate impact and Giannis Antetokounmpo (11.7 points, 5.9 rebounds) is enjoying a solid sophomore campaign. The Bucks will be without center John Henson (foot) and forward Ersan Ilyasova (10.1 points), who has been sidelined since taking an elbow to the face in Tuesday's loss to Cleveland, leaving him with a broken nose and concussion-like symptoms.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (15-6): Dallas is the highest-scoring team in the league, averaging 110 points and having topped 100 in seven straight and 13 of 14. Ellis (21.3 points, 4.6 assists) and Nowitzki (19.1 points, 5.7 rebounds) form as strong of a one-two punch at the offensive end as any in the league, and both should be dressed this time. Chandler Parsons (14.9 points, 5.1 rebounds) is a solid third scoring option, and Chandler (11.5 points, 12.1 rebounds) is a monster on the boards.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Mavericks have won four straight against the Bucks and have claimed 24 of 33 meetings in Dallas.
2. The Bucks are 8-0 when holding opponents under 90 points, but Dallas has scored fewer than 90 only once this season, in a 108-87 loss at Portland on Nov. 6.
3. Dallas is 15-1 when it scores at least 105 points.