The Milwaukee Bucks won their first game under head coach Doc Rivers on Saturday night, defeating the Dallas Mavericks 129-117, behind 48 points from Giannis Antetokounmpo.

After first-year coach Adrian Gryphon was fired in the middle of the season, the Bucks lost their first two games with Rivers on the bench. However, they began the comeback with a 15-0 run in the last two minutes of the first half to pull within five.

In Milwaukee’s second-largest comeback win of the season, they defeated Portland by a score of 26 points thanks to 30 points from Damian Lillard. Moreover, Antetokounmpo had ten assists.

The Mavericks, who had their largest lead blown in a defeat this season, were led by Luka Doncic, who finished with 40 points and 11 assists.

In addition, Rivers and his staff will coach the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game on February 18 as a result of their first victory with the Bucks. Due to Joe Mazzulla of East-leading Boston’s ineligibility after coaching in the game the previous year, the Milwaukee staff receives the All-Star nod.

After getting his right ankle entangled in a struggle with Antetokounmpo for a loose ball in the first quarter, Doncic made a quick trip to the locker room, joining Kyrie Irving for the sixth straight game due to a sprained thumb.

After one quarter, Dallas led 44–20, and after Antetokounmpo’s 3-pointer early in the second, the score was 49–24. With 1:59 remaining in the half, Lillard scored, but the Bucks were still behind 20 points.

Doncic’s transition take foul and technical foul soon after resulted in a five-point possession. After AJ Green sank a three-pointer and Lillard converted both free throws, the score was 65-60 with a minute remaining in the half.

Before Dallas reclaimed the lead late in the third quarter, the Bucks had taken an eight-point lead thanks to a lengthy 38-10 run early in the fourth.

With 1.2 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Antetokounmpo drove the length of the court in 3.7 seconds for a layup and a 93-92 lead, giving Milwaukee a permanent lead once more.

In his sixth game of the season with 40 points or more, the eight-time All-Star finished 20 of 28. Bobby Portis finished with ten rebounds and twelve points.