The Dallas Mavericks can now make a claim that no other NBA team can — they've defeated each of the two teams leading their respective conferences, in beating the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers.
Both of those wins were on the road. And the second of those two wins came without their superstar sophomore, Luka Doncic.
The Bucks were on an 18-game winning streak, leading the Eastern Division before they played the Mavericks on Monday.
The Mavs beat the Bucks, 120-116, behind 26-point performances from both Kristaps Porzingis and Seth Curry, holding off a furious rally from Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.
Antetokounmpo scored 48 points and hauled in 14 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to beat a balanced Mavs team that saw six players score in double-figures.
The Lakers (24-3) and Bucks (24-4) have now lost a combined seven games this season. Two of those seven are to the Mavericks.
The Mavs are two games into a brutal five-game stretch, in which they play the five best teams in the Eastern Conference, with three of those five on the road.
Meanwhile, Doncic continues his rehab from his ankle sprain.
Head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters on Monday that his phenom forward is "progressing well" and "responding well to treatment" but also said that he won't play on Wednesday against the Celtics.
Frankly, the fact that Carlisle felt that a necessary update to offer is an encouraging sign, as it relates to how long Doncic will be off the floor.
The Mavs now sit at 18-8 on the year — good for first in the Southwest Division, and third in the Western Conference, behind only the Lakers and Clippers.
