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0 On Friday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 112-100, earning their ninth win in their last ten games. The Cavs were determined to bounce back after their eight-game winning streak ended with a 126-116 loss to the Bucks on Wednesday. Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points, Jarrett Allen had 24 points and 14 rebounds, and the team gained a measure of revenge by defeating the Bucks.
Cleveland Cavaliers coach JB Bickerstaff viewed the two road matchups with the Milwaukee Bucks in a span of three nights as an opportunity to prepare his team for the postseason. According to Bickerstaff, the games were a chance to practice for the playoffs and give the young players on the team experience playing in high-pressure games. The coach and his team studied and prepared for the games, treating them as if they were playoff games.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists, ending his streak of two straight triple-doubles. Damian Lillard scored 22 points for the Bucks, while Brook Lopez had 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Milwaukee led 57-54 at halftime and extended their lead to 63-57 on Khris Middleton’s follow shot with 10:51 left in the third quarter. However, the Bucks wouldn’t make another basket for nearly nine minutes. Milwaukee’s only points during that stretch came on two free throws by Lillard that gave the Bucks a 65-60 edge with 8 1/2 minutes remaining in the third. The Cavs took the lead for good by going on a 14-0 run in the third quarter while holding the Bucks scoreless for nearly 6 ½ minutes.
After trailing 104-88 with four minutes left, the Bucks cut the lead to 106-100 on Lillard’s free throws with 1:39 remaining. Caris LeVert sank a 3-pointer 23 seconds later, and the Cavs wouldn’t look back. Bobby Portis, who had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Bucks, acknowledged that the team slowed themselves down and played a lot of one-on-one during the game.
The Bucks had fired Adrian Griffin as coach one night before the game on Wednesday, and Joe Prunty, an assistant on Griffin’s staff, worked as interim head coach for those two games. The Bucks announced in the final minute of Friday’s game that they have hired Doc Rivers as Griffin’s permanent replacement.
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