Khris Middleton scored 25 points, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Dallas Mavericks 112-109 for their fourth straight win.
Middleton’s 3-pointer answered James Johnson’s corner 3-pointer and put the Bucks back ahead for good with 2:21 left in the fourth quarter.
Luka Dončić’s driving layup made it 111-109 with 2 seconds left, and Brook Lopez went 1 for 2 at the line with the Bucks up 2 and 1.6 seconds left. The Mavericks had the ball down 3, but Dončić missed a 50-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have tied it.
During clutch time, the Bucks outscored the Mavericks 12-10. Middleton scored 8 of the Bucks’ 12 on 2 for 2 shooting and 2 for 2 at the line.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points (22 in the paint) and 9 rebounds on 14 for 21 shooting.
For the Mavericks, Dončić had 28 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists, his 28th career triple-double but went 1 for 7 from 3, and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 22 points (13 in the third quarter).
The Bucks grabbed 16 offensive rebounds to the Mavericks’ 11. The Mavericks forced 11 turnovers, about 5 fewer than usual for this many possessions.