The Cleveland Cavaliers gave the Milwaukee Bucks a run for their money on Friday night. Despite coming into the game shorthanded, the Cavs still put up a formidable fight against a powerhouse Bucks side.
In the end, however, it was Damian Lillard and Co. who secured a 119-111 win to mark their third win in their current four-game road stand.
Milwaukee Bucks Star Damian Lillard Credits Cavs for Tough Battle
It was the Cavs who came out firing in this one. They took a 37-31 lead after the first quarter, which translated to a seven-point advantage at the break.
After the game, Lillard acknowledged Cleveland’s strong effort in the opening half. Dame was also brutally honest about the Bucks being outplayed by their opponents early on:
“They started the game better than us,” he said. “Our transition defense, our help defense, it was bad. They got to the spots they wanted to, they played a comfortable game. They’re a good team. They play with a lot of pace. They play confident. They got a lot of guys out there that can get stuff done.”
Dame hit the nail on the head here. Despite not having Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, to name a few, the Cavs still have a couple of other studs who are capable of going off on every given night.
This was exactly the case for Donovan Mitchell, who scored a game-high 34 points on 14-of-23 shooting (tied with Giannis Antetokounmpo), along with six boards, nine assists, two steals, a block, and two three-pointers.
Jarrett Allen had himself a game as well, logging a 30-point, 12-rebound double-double, with six dimes and two blocks.
The Bucks Turned It On
The Bucks, however, used a massive second-half surge to dispose of their opponents. Milwaukee was on fire in the third quarter as they outscored the Cavs 40-21. They did not look back from there.
This win now has Milwaukee improving to 24-8. They are still second in the East behind the 25-6 Boston Celtics, who also won on Friday against the Toronto Raptors, 120-118.
The Bucks now return home to host their Central Division rivals, the Indiana Pacers on Monday for their first game of the new year.
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