The Milwaukee Bucks (12-5) will play against the Cleveland Cavaliers (12-6) on Friday night in Milwaukee. The Bucks dominated the first matchup between the two teams this season, winning 113-98 on November 16. Since losing to Milwaukee, the Cavaliers have won four-straight games. Meanwhile, the Bucks have lost two of three games in that span. Of course, the player that most fans are excited to watch the most is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has put up some very impressive numbers against the Cavaliers in his career. Here, I outline the five best games Giannis has played against Cleveland.
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5. November 29, 2019: Bucks 119, Cavaliers 110
This was game that saw a rare appearance of Khris Middleton coming off of the bench for the Bucks. He scored 12 points, four rebounds, and five assists in just 23 minutes. Of course, Giannis was the star of the game as he led the Bucks to their 16th win in 19 games to start the season. Giannis put up 33 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks. He was 14-26 from the field, including 2-8 from three. The Greek Freak was also a solid 3-4 from the free throw line.
4. March 19, 2018: Bucks 117, Cavaliers 124
Sure, the Milwaukee Bucks lost this game, but Giannis was incredible. He scored 37 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out five assists. The Greek Freak was 13-20 from the floor and, get this, 11-11 from the free throw line! Khris Middleton added 30 points on 11-16 shooting (5-9 from three). The other three players who started for Milwaukee were Eric Bledsoe, Tony Snell, and John Henson.
LeBron James had 40 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in this contest.
3. October 20, 2017: Bucks 97, Cavaliers 116
It is amazing what Giannis was able to achieve with the cast of supporting players he had before Mike Budenholzer took over. A bad loss to the Cavaliers did include a monster stat-line from Giannis, though. In this particular contest, Giannis had 34 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and a block. He was 15-22 from the field and 4-6 from the free throw line. Middleton added just eight points on 3-10 shooting. The Bucks starting lineup was filled out by Malcolm Brogdon, Tony Snell, and Thon Maker.
2. November 7, 2017: Bucks 119, Cavaliers 124
The Milwaukee Bucks struggled against the Cavaliers during the LeBron James stints in Cleveland. Despite their struggles as a team, the games played with the Cavs made from great matchups between two of the best players in the world. In this particular contest, Giannis had 40 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. Middleton and Brogdon each scored 20+ points. However, LeBron James and Kevin Love each scored 30+ and JR Smith added 20 for the Cavaliers.
1. December 14, 2018: Bucks 114, Cavaliers 102
LeBron James departed Cleveland in 2018 for the Los Angeles Lakers. Additionally, the Milwaukee Bucks hired Mike Budenholzer as their head coach. The combination of the two events led to a big swing in which team controlled the matchup. In this contest, Giannis dominated every facet of the game. He had 44 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists, and two blocks. The Greek Freak shot 14-19 from the floor and was 16-21 from the free throw line.
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