CLEVELAND – The Milwaukee Bucks played the Cleveland Cavaliers for the third time this season but have yet to meet the Eastern Conference-leaders whole, as Khris Middleton missed the loss Nov. 2, Giannis Antetokounmpo the loss on Nov. 4 and then Damian Lillard was out for the 124-101 loss Friday night.
“The number one thing is for Dame to be healthy,” Antetokounmpo said. “I think when we are a healthy team we are a totally different team, we are a team to be scared of. But there’s no thought in my head of ‘oh, Dame gotta get back quick.’ I don’t care if we lose five in a row, I really believe in our abilities.
“I believe that no matter where we end up in the East we have a chance to compete when we’re healthy. And that’s our No. 1 opponent the last couple of years. So, right now that’s the opponent I’m fighting, we’re fighting, it’s health. Calf strains are tricky, but time heals every injury, so he’s gotta take his time and we have definitely the talent that can step up and hold it down until he comes back.”
It was a matchup of two of the hotter teams in the East, as the Cavaliers (24-4) won their third in a row and for the seventh time in their last eight games. The Bucks (14-12) had their three-game winning streak snapped but have still won seven of their last 10.
The Bucks were coming off an Emirates NBA Cup championship Tuesday in Las Vegas, but the game did not count toward the team’s record. The travel and time zone changes counted, however, as the team made a brief stop in Milwaukee before heading to Cleveland on Thursday. The team elected not to practice on either off day after beating the Thunder.
“It’s definitely weird,” Antetokounmpo said of the post-NBA Cup turnaround. “Usually when you hold up a trophy, that’s it. You have your offseason, time to rest, time to be with your family. It’s just weird lifting up a trophy and coming back to two days later. You cannot really celebrate because in two days you’re playing the best team in the NBA. It’s definitely weird. But, OK. It is what it is. The season continues. We have 50-something games in front of us. Just gotta keep on improving, keep on being healthy.”
Cavaliers dominate Bucks from start to finish
In the decisive first half in which they trailed by as many as 20, the Bucks made just four of their 14 three-pointers (28.6%) while the Cavaliers were 10 for 22 (45.5%) – many of which went uncontested. Cleveland shot 57% from the floor overall in the first half in taking a 69-51 lead into the break, scoring six points off seven Milwaukee turnovers and another five off offensive rebounds.
The Bucks never found a rhythm, as even Antetokounmpo struggled with four turnovers on 8-of-15 shooting in his first 20 minutes of the game. He was also 2 for 6 from the free throw line.
On a night where the team would have to account for about 25 extra points with Lillard out, Andre Jackson Jr. and AJ Green combined to go 0 for 8, including 0 for 6 from behind the three-point line while Taurean Prince scored just two points on 1-of-2 shooting in the first half. Jackson and Green never scored and Prince finished with five.
“It’s a big factor,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said of the lack of additional scoring punch. “We’ve got to move the ball more. We didn’t run a lot of stuff tonight. We gotta get more organized. We don’t do that often, but we have games like that and when that happens we usually don’t win those games. And that was tonight.”
BOX SCORE:Cavaliers 124, Bucks 101
Cleveland came into the game with the league’s 10th best scoring defense (110.9 points allowed per game) and the second-best scoring offense (121.5), so the chances of coming back for the Bucks felt slim at best.
Starting hot after halftime has been trouble spot all season for Milwaukee, and the Bucks were not able to turn it around on this night as the Cavaliers built their lead to 27 in the first three minutes of the quarter.
“We were flat early,” Rivers said. “I actually contemplated not playing anybody in the second half, honestly. I just thought we were flat, tired, whatever you want to call it. It was a tough turnaround, you knew that.”
Milwaukee cut the deficit to 17 late in the quarter but never truly threatened to come all the way back.
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 33 points in 30 minutes, making 13 of his 22 shots (59%) and six of his 10 free throws. He also pulled down 14 rebounds and had three steals and three assists to go against five turnovers.
Brook Lopez was the only other starter to reach double figures with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting.
“Tonight, there’s no barometer,” Rivers said. “There’s no read on tonight’s game, I’m just going to say that. We learned nothing, is what I’ll say tonight.”
Rivers subbed out his regulars to begin the fourth quarter with his team down 103-76 and Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson finally pulled his with the Cavaliers up 33 with 9 minutes, 13 seconds to go in the game.
All five Cavs starters reached double figures, led by Donovan Mitchell’s 27. Jarrett Allen had 10 rebounds.
“I think they have a tougher time playing us half court so they gotta figure out a way to play fast, so they play very, very fast and they space the floor, throw a lot of throw-aheads for threes,” Antetokounmpo said. “But not only that, they’re making them. Today that was a play that we scored and they took the ball out and throw the ball ahead and they scored the three in like two seconds. They definitely are one of the best teams in the NBA. And you could see why. They play together and they play hard. They shoot the ball very, very well.”
Khris Middleton returns from illness
Middleton missed the NBA Cup final with an illness and he returned against the Cavaliers to play 19 minutes and scored a season-high 14 points in his fifth regular season game. He was 5 for 12 from the floor, including 1 for 2 from behind the three-point line. He was also 3 for 5 from free throw line and added three rebounds and three assists.
Before the game Rivers said Middleton would remain on his 20–25-minute restriction not just because of his return from offseason ankle surgeries, but because he was ill for the last few days. In an effort to get back into the game in the third quarter, Middleton subbed in with 7 minutes, 38 seconds to go – and he and Antetokounmpo combined to score 22 of the team’s 25 points.
“We tried to get him in early, try to match his minutes; problem with that is then there’s minutes with no Khris and Giannis on the floor, so we just had to throw it in,” Rivers said. “He wanted to do that. I told him I’m taking everybody out, how many minutes do you want to play? And he said I just want to try to play through some stuff. So, it was a good game for that. If there was a positive, that was a positive.”
It was the longest stretch of consecutive minutes he had played this season.
“Just trying to get back into shape,” Middleton said. “Ran a little bit of this sickness out but also to get back in shape, just try to get back my wind as best as it can be going forward. That’s what it takes sometimes, pushing through a longer stretch than I’m used to at this point. I think it as the perfect game for it, honestly. Suck to say that but it was good, it was good to get out there, try to get all the stuff out of me and get back to my normal self.”
Did you notice?
It won’t count as part of their lengthy lob dunk history, but Middleton looked to have lofted up a nifty left-hand pass off the backboard to Antetokounmpo for a dunk with about a minute and a half to go in the second quarter — but after the game Middleton admitted he just missed the layup.
“No, it wasn’t (a pass),” he said with a laugh. “That’s one I just put it up there. He knows that if I can’t throw the lob he tells me ‘keep attacking’ and he’ll go clean it up if I put up a layup or floater or whatever. And that’s exactly what he did. So somewhat of a pass.”
Damian Lillard ruled out for Bucks with calf strain
All-star point guard Damian Lillard said he felt some irritation in the calf during the second quarter of the Bucks’ NBA Cup semifinal win over Atlanta on Dec. 14, but he finished that game. The injury was initially called a bruise and Lillard said he would play in the final against Oklahoma City on Dec. 17 – and he did, playing 35 minutes and scoring 23 points.
Rivers said there was a moment in the game where Lillard was favoring the calf and the team subbed him out, but Lillard wanted to finish the game.
“If that had been a regular season game, Dame would’ve played in the game,” Rivers said before the Cavaliers game. “We would never put a guy on the floor because the league wants us to put him on the floor because it matters. It’s the long haul for us.”
The injury was re-diagnosed as a strain, however, on Thursday’s injury report as the team headed to Cleveland. He did not travel with the team. The Bucks play Washington Saturday night at Fiserv Forum where they will be recognized as NBA Cup champions.
“After the game, the next day basically, he told me that we needed to sit him for a minute. We’ll see,” Rivers said. “I have no idea (if he’ll play Saturday). My guess, I’m guessing like you guys, is it’s a strain and I don’t think it’s a severe one but I think we’re going to be cautious.”
Last year, Lillard strained his right Achilles tendon late in the season and missed a couple of playoff games against Indiana. He also had strained the soleus in his right calf while playing in Portland in 2022.
The Bucks started AJ Green next to Andre Jackson Jr., which was the lineup they used in two of the three games Lillard missed from Nov. 12-16 while in the league’s concussion protocol. The duo didn’t score on 0-for-9 shooting. Delon Wright started the third game of Lillard’s initial absence on Nov. 16, and the veteran began the third quarter in place of Green.
Rivers said the staff will look at whether or not they need a Wright, or perhaps two-way point guard Ryan Rollins, to play more.
Antetokounmpo was a bit more matter-of-fact about that potential change, however.
“I think we have great guys that can step up from Ryan, D-Wright, guys that can come in and handle the ball — we definitely need somebody that can handle the ball and make plays and put us in position,” Antetokounmpo said. “Khris is definitely to help but he’s not a point guard. At times he’s going to get the ball and make plays and call sets, but we’ve gotta have a point guard that’s going to put us in position, slow the game down for us sometimes, have the ball down the stretch for us at times and when we need to play fast, he can speed up the pace for us, just make good decisions overall for us. That’s what Dame does. Not only does he score the ball, he puts everybody in position to be successful. So, we need different guys to step up. We have the guys to step up. I really believe in Ryan, I believe in D-Wright.”
More:Damian Lillard got a taste of why he came to Bucks in Las Vegas
Five numbers
- 2-2: Bucks record without Damian Lillard.
- 4-3: Bucks record on the front end of back-to-backs.
- 15-1: Cavaliers record at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse after beating the Bucks.
- 24: Straight games Giannis Antetokounmpo has scored 20 or more points on at least 50% shooting from the field. He is one game away from tying the NBA record shared by Shaquille O’Neal and Zion Williamson.
- 12/4/24: Last time Bucks point guard Delon Wright played a game. Wright started the second half and did provide a bit of a spark in his 10 minutes of action with a steal, an assist and a rebound.
Doc Rivers a nominee for Hall of Fame
Rivers, who already has been named one of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history, is eligible to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for the first time.
“It means a lot,” Rivers said before the game against the Cavaliers. “It means that I’m old. It means that I’ve done good work in the league to be mentioned. It’s humbling. And, you know, other than that I don’t like talking about it because we’re in the middle of the season. That’s not where my head is at obviously.”
He is one of 10 coaches to win at least 1,000 regular-season games and has a chance to catch 11-time champion Phil Jackson for No. 7 all-time this season if the Bucks win 28 more games.
“I think it’s hard to look back on anything you’ve accomplished when you’re still trying to accomplish,” he said. “Because that’s not your focus. So, that’s probably where I’m at right now with it.”
Rivers is one of four active head coaches on that top-15 list, which was unveiled with the Top 75 players of all time in 2021. Gregg Popovich (San Antonio), Steve Kerr (Golden State) and Erik Spoelstra (Miami) are still coaching. Former Bucks coach Don Nelson is also in that exclusive group.
Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing?
Yes. The newly-crowned NBA Cup MVP has been managing tendinopathy (pain) in his right patella since training camp but has not missed a game with that issue so far this season.
What channel are the Bucks on?
The Bucks return to local television for a 6:30 p.m. CT start on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin with Dave Koehn, Marques Johnson and Melanie Ricks on the call.
Bucks injury report
- Damian Lillard, out (right calf strain)
- Khris Middleton, available (non-COVID illness)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, available (right patella tendinopathy)
Bucks starters
- Guards: Andre Jackson Jr., AJ Green
- Forwards: Taurean Prince, Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Center: Brook Lopez
More:Bucks players, coaches can add to legacies with Emirates NBA Cup victory
Bucks send three players to G League showcase
Rookies AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith, and second-year forward Chris Livingston went straight from Las Vegas to Orlando for the annual G League Winter Showcase. They joined the Wisconsin Herd, which played Birmingham on Thursday night.
Johnson had 18 points, six assists and five rebounds for the Herd in the 108-86 loss. Livingston had 10 points and five rebounds.
The Herd did not qualify for the tournament portion of the showcase, however, and instead will play the Mexico City Capitanes on Saturday.
Bucks vs. Cavaliers odds, over/under
Cleveland is a 9.5-point favorite over Milwaukee, and the over/under on the game is 223.5 points per BetMGM.
