Milwaukee Bucks' first test without Giannis postponed by NBA

The NBA hasn't officially announced a date for this postponed Milwaukee-Dallas game to be played, but reports head begun circulating that Feb. 18, the Wednesday just after the All-Star break, would be an ideal date. Milwaukee was originally scheduled to resume action on Feb. 20 in New Orleans.

The Bucks have dropped five of six, winning only a Martin Luther King Day contest at the Hawks. This Dallas Mavericks’ visit was supposed to conclude a three-game homestand that delivered an awful curveball through Antetokounmpo suffering an aggravation of a soleus strain late in Friday's 102-100 loss. Whether he hobbled off in his final act in Milwaukee prior to the Feb. 5 trade deadline remains to be seen, but the “Greek Freak” did express hope that his team can hold the fort down without him and still reach the play-in. 

The Mavericks were supposed to be playing on the second night of a back-to-back following a nationally-televised 116-110 Saturday night loss to the L.A. Lakers. Cooper Flagg finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists but shot just 7-for-20 as Luka Doncic emerged victorious in his former home, finishing with 33 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists.

L.A. rallied from 15 points down in the final quarter, scoring 37 points and pulling ahead on a Rui Hachimura scoring flurry late. Max Christie led the way with 24 points for Dallas, but appeared on the injury report as ‘questionable’ to play in this second leg. Flagg and Klay Thompson were unlikely to play, while Brandon Williams was also added to the injury report with a ‘questionable’ tag.

This was supposed to be the Mavs’ lone game outside Texas in a nine-game stretch that opened earlier this week and features most games in Dallas outside of visits to Houston and San Antonio prior to the break.

The Bucks ran their win streak over the Mavs to seven games in their first meeting this season, prevailing 116-114 in Dallas on Nov. 10. Antetokounmpo finished with a game-high 30 points, adding eight rebounds and three blocks. Ryan Rollins notched the game-winning bucket with 17.9 seconds left, while Kyle Kuzma added 26 points off the bench. 

Flagg led Dallas with 26 points and nine boards in what was one of his best early games amid a shaky start. That game was notable in being the last in the Nico Harrison era as Mavs’ GM and is memorable due to Mavs fans heckling him as PJ Washington was trying to concentrate on making three game-tying free throws after a late foul. He misfired on the second before intentionally missing the third in the hopes of an offensive rebound.