Dallas Mavericks were below par in their first five matches of the NBA season, losing all of them, and were hence determined to script their maiden win. While they finally beat Milwaukee Bucks in overtime on Sunday, Toronto Raptors, who had looked good in the first few matches, lost to Sacramento Kings.
The Mavs did not start Q1 well, as they were outscored 19-27, but they looked a determined outfit in the second quarter, putting up some fine show on the offensive and defensive floor. They scored 28, while Bucks only scored 12.
From there on, it was a tight affair in both the remaining quarters. After the exciting fourth quarter came to an end, Mavericks and Bulls were tied at 74 each, which lead to the all-important OT. Mavericks shone brightly when it mattered most, as they completely outscored the Bucks 12-1 in OT to win the contest 86-75.
Harrison Barnes was unstoppable as he top-scored for the Mavs with 34 points while JJ Barea played his supporting cast role well to contribute 21 points. Jabari Parker scored 16 points for the Bucks, who suffered their third loss of the season.
Talking about losses, Raptors were not able to continue their impressive winning ways, as they lost to the Kings, 91-96. Raptors had come into this game with three straight wins under their belt, and were regarded as favourites for the Kings clash, but in this competitive league, nothing is easy, one has to earn it.
With Kings being consistent in all four quarters of the match, they emerged victorious with DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay shining brightly for the visitors. They scored 22 and 23 points respectively to help Kings script their third win of the season only.
Raptors, on the other hand, suffered their second loss, despite some good performance from DeMar DeRozan (23 points) and Kyle Lowry (15).
