FILE – Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dunks against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half of a game at Fiserv Forum on November 21, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Stacy Revere/Getty Images/AFP
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 38 points as the Milwaukee Bucks used a dominant third quarter to storm past the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 117-102 on Friday.
Jevon Carter made five 3-pointers and finished with 18 points, while Bobby Portis Jr. added 14 points and eight rebounds. Brook Lopez matched his season high with six blocks for Milwaukee, which outscored the Cavaliers 35-10 in the third quarter and improved to 10-2 at home this season.
Donovan Mitchell had 29 points to lead Cleveland, while Darius Garland had 20 points. Isaac Okoro scored 13 points and Dean Wade matched his career high with 12 rebounds.
Cleveland had its four-game winning streak come to an end after shooting 39.1 percent from the field and 12 of 33 (36.4 percent) from 3-point range.
The Bucks trailed by as many as 16 in the first half before completely flipping the script after intermission.
🦌 Giannis was a FREIGHT TRAIN in the @Bucks win, throwing down dunk after dunk on his way to 38 PTS in the comeback win!@Giannis_An34: 38 PTS (65% FG), 9 REB, 6 AST, 2 BLK pic.twitter.com/fvpfoh4sCV
— NBA (@NBA) November 26, 2022
Milwaukee, which opened the third quarter on a 23-2 run, took its first lead of the game at 67-65 on Antetokounmpo’s trey with 7:19 left in the period.
The Bucks never looked back against the dazed Cavaliers and carried a commanding 87-73 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Cavaliers, who have lost each of their first two meetings against Milwaukee this season, made just three of their 17 shots from the field in the third quarter.
Portis made his 500th career 3-pointer with 7:37 remaining in the contest to extend Milwaukee’s lead to 95-80.
Antetokounmpo finished with nine rebounds and six assists for the Bucks, who shot 50.6 percent from the field and 15 of 32 (46.9 percent) from beyond the arc.
Cleveland bolted to a 14-point lead in the first quarter before Milwaukee closed on a 10-1 run to cut the deficit to 30-25.
The Cavaliers maintained their lead early in the second quarter as Antetokounmpo rested on the bench. The two-time MVP reentered the game with six minutes left and scored 11 quick points.
Antetokounmpo finished with 22 points in the first half to lead Milwaukee, which trailed 63-52 at the break. Mitchell and Garland combined for 38 points for the Cavaliers.
Milwaukee played without Serge Ibaka and Pat Connaughton, who both sat out due to non-COVID illnesses.