Dallas, Texas - The defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks were down early but ran a timely comeback on the road to defeat the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.

The Bucks beat the Mavericks 102-95 for their second consecutive win and a chance for three-straight if they defeat the Celtics on Christmas Day.

For the Mavs, this was their third loss in the last four games.

Dallas did jump out early to a 23-15 lead in the first quarter, thanks in part to some great defense, but it didn’t last long.

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In the second quarter, the Bucks made some great offensive adjustments and fought back to a two-point deficit by halftime.

Milwaukee kept it up in the third by continuing to outplay Dallas to regain their third lead of the game, a lead they wouldn’t give up again.

The Bucks went into the fourth quarter with only a 75-74 lead but managed to hold off the Mavs to slip away with a big win.

With their biggest star out for the night, Bucks small forward Khris Middleton (30) was his team’s leader on Thursday night.

As Milwaukee’s second-leading scorer with 18.4 points per game behind the missing Giannis Antetokounmpo, Middleton has always been the top man to answer the call, giving the Bucks a great chance to win even while being shorthanded.

Middleton finished the game with 8-for-14 shooting from the field for 26 points, seven assists, and five rebounds.

The Bucks can make it three wins in a row with another victory against the Celtics on Saturday, Christmas Day.

They are currently third in the Eastern Conference behind the Nets and Bulls, but can definitely gain at least a little bit of ground on them over the next few games. That is especially true for Brooklyn, who hasn’t played a game since last week due to Covid-related postponements.

On Christmas Day, the Bucks will be at home to host the Celtics, while the Mavericks will be on the road to face the Jazz.