The New Year brought a standout performance for point guard J.J. Barea. But the situation only got worse for the Mavericks team as a whole.
Barea scored a career-high 29 points in a gritty 35:35 minutes for the depleted Mavs in a 99-87 loss to the Bucks in Milwaukee. The Bucks also ended the Mavs’ 12-game win streak when visiting Dallas on December 13. Saturday accounted for just the second road loss for the Mavs all season.
Already without All-Star Dirk Nowitzki for the third consecutive game, all of which were losses, the Mavericks were forced to play without Caron Butler after he suffered an apparent right knee injury at the 2:47 mark of the first quarter. Head coach Rick Carlisle seemed concerned during post-game interviews on FS Southwest, but did not divulge any details other than saying that X-rays were performed, an MRI would be done Sunday and that Butler would not fly with the team to Cleveland for Sunday’s contest. The injury was non-contact in nature and appeared to occur when Butler pushed off to go into the air after the ball.
Butler has averaged 15 points per game so far this season and scored 30 in Thursday’s home loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Shawn Marion, who has backed up Nowitzki well, also missed the game with a thigh contusion.
Barea was instrumental in helping the Mavs overcome a 13-point first-half deficit. Barea scored 16 of his 18 first half total in the second quarter and eight of his 11 second-half points in fourth.
Jason Terry once again struggled to get to seven points in the game. But his field goals tied the game at 62, 69 and 71. Jason Kidd free throws knotted the game at 67 also.
Running low on manpower, the Mavs couldn’t put together the run they needed to put them over the top for good.
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