The Cleveland duo of Jarrett Allen and Donovan Mitchell combined for 56 points compared to 44 for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, the same twelve-point difference in the game.
The Cavaliers’ bench once again came to the rescue to combine for 31 points, led by Caris LeVert, with twelve points, including a big three-pointer to put the Cavs up nine late in the 4th quarter.
To begin the 4th quarter, the Cavs were up only three, but went on a 9-0 run to start the 4th quarter to put them up twelve and never looked back.
Donovan Mitchell delivered a stellar performance with 32 points, complemented by Jarrett Allen’s impressive 24 points and 14 rebounds, propelling the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 112-100 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. This marked the Cavaliers’ ninth win in their last 10 games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, despite contributing 22 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, couldn’t secure his third consecutive triple-double. Damian Lillard also posted 22 points for the Bucks.
The Cavaliers sought redemption after their eight-game winning streak was halted with a 126-116 loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday, following the dismissal of Adrian Griffin as the Bucks’ coach.
Interim head coach Joe Prunty, part of Griffin’s staff, led the team for the past two games. The Bucks announced the hiring of Doc Rivers as Griffin’s permanent replacement during the final minute of Friday’s game.
Although the Bucks narrowed the gap to 106-100 with 1:39 left after trailing 104-88, the Cavs sealed the win with Caris LeVert’s timely 3-pointer. Cleveland secured the lead in the third quarter, embarking on a crucial 14-0 run that left the Bucks scoreless for almost 6 ½ minutes.
Despite Milwaukee leading 57-54 at halftime and extending it to 63-57 in the third, they struggled to find the basket for nearly nine minutes. The Bucks’ sole points during that stretch came from two free throws by Lillard, providing a slim 65-60 edge with 8 1/2 minutes remaining in the third.
Milwaukee’s scoring drought was broken by Pat Connaughton’s 3-pointer with 2:02 left in the third. The Bucks connected on four consecutive 3-pointers in a 90-second span, trimming a nine-point deficit to one. However, the Cavaliers responded with 11 unanswered points, securing an 89-77 advantage, and maintained their lead for the remainder of the game.
Host Clippers on Monday.
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