"Bucks bailed by refs again": Dallas Mavericks' fans cry foul after Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving's big efforts overshadowed by FT disparity

The Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks engaged in an epic battle in front of a national television audience on Saturday night with their respective superstars, Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard taking flight.

This fan summarized the four players' performances in one tweet:

"Elite hoops right there."

BGN Hoops even added that the Doncic-Irving combo is already unfair in itself.

Another fan said,

"What a treat watching this game."

Then this fan tweeted:

"Finally, a game where all the star players show up. Lovely to watch."

However, some fans took exception to how the game was officiated, considering the number of free throws both teams attempted.

One fan even said,

"[The] Bucks [were] bailed by the refs again!"

Some other tweets on X had the same sentiments.

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'Controversial' free throws help Milwaukee Bucks stave off Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks

The Milwaukee Bucks finished the game with 10 more free throw attempts than the Dallas Mavericks. The Bucks went 17-for-20 from the foul line, while the Mavericks went 7-for-10.

The Milwaukee Bucks had a string of seven straight free throws, two from Giannis Antetokounmpo, three from Damian Lillard, and two more from Brook Lopez after a Lillard three in a one-and-a-half-minute span midway through the fourth quarter that helped them take the lead after trailing by 11 earlier in the period, which probably drew the ire from Dallas Mavericks fans.

The Mavericks still put up a fight and were just down two with 1:26 remaining, but Pat Connaughton hit a huge three, and Giannis Antetokounmpo added a mid-range jumper to seal the Milwaukee Bucks' 132-125 home win at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks, who now won its fourth straight game to move up to 9-4, with 40 points, going 18-for-26 from the field, 15 rebounds, seven assists, one block and two steals.

Lillard added 27 points, three rebounds, 12 assists, and one steal. Interestingly, though, he had the same number of free throw attempts as the entire Mavericks squad, going 9-for-10 eventually.

Irving paced the Mavericks, who also sport a 9-4 record now, with 39 points on 16-for-29 field goals, four rebounds, six assists and one steal.

Doncic flirted with a triple-double, tallying 35 points on 15-of-26 shooting, nine rebounds, and nine assists.