Dallas @ Milwaukee preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 18, 2017 ) Milwaukee 79, Dallas 111

The Milwaukee Bucks seek payback for their most lopsided loss in nearly two years when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. The Bucks were on a four-game winning streak and the Mavericks were occupying the basement in the Western Conference entering their matchup in Dallas on Nov. 17, when the hosts pulled off a shocking 111-79 rout.

Milwaukee dropped two of its next three games but recovered with a 4-1 stretch, including Wednesday's 104-100 win over Detroit to open a three-game homestand. "We just stayed with it," forward Khris Middleton told reporters after a 21-point effort against the Pistons. "We did a great job of holding onto the lead. We have just been grinding it out and staying with it." Dallas was 2-14 prior to its earlier matchup with the Bucks, but that result kicked off a 5-4 surge and the squad gave NBA-best Boston all it could handle before dropping a 97-90 decision on the road Wednesday night. Harrison Barnes had a team-high 19 points in the loss while going without a turnover for the first time this season.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Dallas), FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (7-18): Dallas scored 122 points two nights before being held to 90 at Boston as its shooting percentage went from 57 to 39.5. "It was a pretty well-defended game on both sides," coach Rick Carlisle told the media. "Obviously, they did a little better job than we did. But holding these guys under 100 is the kind of defensive game we needed. But we needed more force on offense." Rookie Dennis Smith Jr. went 4-of-16 from the floor and is making 36.8 percent of his shots on the road this season.

ABOUT THE BUCKS (13-10): Giannis Antetokounmpo celebrated his 23rd birthday with 25 points and 10 rebounds against Detroit, and he seems to have hit his stride with new point guard Eric Bledsoe (22 points). "Giannis and Bledsoe made some big plays down the stretch with some offensive rebounds," coach Jason Kidd told reporters. "Just the confidence that those two have in one another and in the team is great. Nobody is panicking trying to execute the play." Milwaukee is 9-4 since acquiring Bledsoe, whose worst performance with the Bucks came in the loss at Dallas, when he was 2-for-10 from the floor and had six points in 22 minutes.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Middleton is averaging 20.6 points on 60 percent shooting - including 12-of-23 from 3-point distance - over his last five games.

2. Mavericks PF Maximilian Kleber had 13 points, five rebounds, five blocks and a steal at Boston.

3. Dallas has won three straight meetings and nine of the last 10.

PREDICTION: Bucks 108, Mavericks 101