LOS ANGELES (AFP) - DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points and Patty Mills put aside concern about the deadly fires in his native Australia to help the San Antonio Spurs to a 126-104 upset of the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks on Monday (Jan 6).
Mills - who has been using his social media accounts to offer updates on the Australian bushfires - made six three-pointers as the Spurs drained a season-high 19 from beyond the arc and turned the tables on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, who had beaten them on Saturday.
Mills said facing the powerhouse Bucks twice in quick succession was actually a good thing.
"You can kind of lock in a little bit in a smaller version of a playoff series," Mills said.
"You can hone in to their strengths and weaknesses."
But even as he focused on the task at hand, Mills said on Monday he had been "keeping a close eye" on the news from Australia.
"It's very devastating what's happening," he said. "It's one of those disasters and a national crisis that is hard to comprehend."
San Antonio hit 12 of 20 three-point attempts in the first half, tying a club record for most made three-pointers in any half.
They handed the Bucks their first defeat since an upset loss to Philadelphia on Christmas Day.
It was also the Bucks' first loss this season to a team without a winning record, but Milwaukee maintained the best record in the league at 32-6.
The Spurs, who improved to 15-20, are fighting to hang onto eighth place in the West.
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 24 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Elsewhere, Dallas' MVP candidate Luka Doncic delivered his league-leading 11th triple-double of the season with 38 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Mavericks to a 118-110 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
Doncic scored 21 points in the third quarter as the Mavs took charge of a close game.
Chicago lost forward Wendell Carter Jr. with 8:25 remaining in the third, when he suffered an apparent right ankle injury.
