NBA Cup champion Bucks no match for Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 124-101 home win over the Bucks on Friday, swiftly bringing Milwaukee down from its NBA Cup-championship high.
Five other Cavaliers scored in double-figures, with Darius Garland putting up 16 and Evan Mobley and Dean Wade adding 15 each. Ty Jerome had 13 points, and Jarrett Allen posted 10 points and 10 rebounds.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 33 points along with 14 rebounds. Fellow star Damian Lillard did not travel with the team due to a right calf strain. Khris Middleton scored 14 off the bench, and Brook Lopez contributed 10 points.
The Cavaliers have won three in a row and seven of their past eight. The Bucks had a three-game winning streak end, though the count doesn’t include their 97-81 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup final on Tuesday, as that game isn’t included in the regular-season standings.
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Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, left, shoots over Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley, right, in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
The Bucks started poorly from deep (1-for-6) as the Cavs built early momentum and a 17-8 lead.
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At the end of the first, Middleton missed a 3-point attempt before fouling Mitchell on a shot from well beyond the arc, earning the Cleveland star three free throws to put the Cavs up 29-20.
Cleveland took the momentum into the second quarter, shooting 10-for-22 from beyond the arc in the half and leading 69-51 at the break
Mitchell had 16 in the half and three other Cavaliers were in double-figures. Antetokounmpo kept the Bucks in it with 18.
To begin the third, Cleveland went on a 12-5 run to take an 81-56 lead.
Late in the third, the Bucks went on a 9-3 spurt to bring their deficit below 20 points for the first time since the start of the half. However, Cleveland quickly vanquished any momentum.
Another sloppy end to a quarter for the Bucks, with a turnover on an inbounds pass and a Mitchell 3-pointer, put Cleveland up 103-76 heading into the fourth. Milwaukee pulled its starters to begin the final quarter.
The Cavaliers improve to 3-0 over Milwaukee this season after back-to-back wins in early November. The teams meet for the final time in the regular season on March 9 in Milwaukee. –Field Level Media
