Cleveland pushes their winning streak to 14.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, who just pushed their winning streak to 14 games with the 112-100 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, once again looked like the dominant team they’ve been throughout the majority of the season. Not the one that has constantly lost focus and played down to the competition over the previous four games.
The Cavs were simply too much for the Bucks to handle on Sunday night. Their incredible depth stood in stark contrast to the shallow Milwaukee team that was only able to go as far as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard dragged them.
Cleveland came out of the gates strong in the first quarter thanks to the play of their two bigs. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen combined for 17 first-quarter points on 7-8 shooting. The Bucks were able to keep pace and make it a two-point game thanks to nine-point first quarters from both Antetokounmpo and Lillard.
The Cavs created separation in the second quarter when both teams had to go to their reserves. An 11-point quarter from Max Strus helped the Cavs push the lead to 15 before taking a 10-point advantage into the break.
Cleveland’s offense went cold in the third quarter. They shot just 3-11 from deep in the third (27.3%), which led to Milwaukee winning the quarter 25-22.
But even if the Cavs’ offense goes cold for stretches, it usually doesn’t last too long. The Bucks found that out the hard way tonight.
Cleveland’s attack came alive in the fourth. They went on a quick 11-5 run earlier on to push the lead the 11 thanks to three quick triples from Sam Merrill, Donovan Mitchell, and Dean Wade. This caused Doc Rivers to take a timeout.
The Cavs weren’t done there. They continued to turn defense into offense with a lineup of Garland, Allen, Strus, Dean Wade, and Isaac Okoro. That group went on a 12-4 run to completely run away with the game.
It seems like every night a different Cleveland role-player steps up. On Sunday, it was Strus as he carried the offense in the second quarter and was an impactful outside shooter all game. He ended the game with 17 points on 5-9 shooting from deep to go along with nine rebounds.
Allen continues to be a difference-maker against Antetokounmpo. Giannis was able to get his points, but Allen made it so that Cleveland didn’t have to bend their defense in order to make life difficult for Antetokounmpo. This is why they continue to prove to be a tough matchup against Milwaukee.
The Cavs were able to win comfortably despite not receiving standout performances from either Mitchell or Darius Garland. Mitchell wasn’t able to get into a rhythm as he finished with 15 points on 4-15 shooting to go along with six assists and four turnovers. Garland provided just 13 points on 4-13 shooting to go along with five assists and three turnovers.
The Bucks were led by Antetokounmpo. He led both teams in scoring with 30 points on 13-24 shooting to go along with nine rebounds and three helpers. Lillard wasn’t far behind with 22 points and two assists. Kyle Kuzma was the only other Buck who finished in double figures scoring (14).
The Cavs are now one win away from tying their longest winning streak of the season (15). They’ve also swept the season series against Milwaukee and have won six of the last eight times they’ve played.
The Cavaliers will be back in action Tuesday when they travel home to take on the Brooklyn Nets.