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Wrap-Up -- There was a question of how much immediate help Kevin Love would provide when he returned to the Cavaliers' lineup. Monday night’s victory was the answer.
After missing the previous 20 games with a fractured left hand, the five-time All-Star was back in the starting five in the Wine & Gold’s homecoming after a six-game trip – finishing with 18 points, seven boards, four assists and a pair of blocks as the Cavaliers took the season series with a, 124-117, win over Bucks on Monday at The Q.
The victory also marked the first win for Larry Drew as he fills in for head coach Tyronn Lue, who’s taking a leave to tend to some recurring health concerns. Drew was last at the helm in Milwaukee, coaching them through the 2013-14 campaign.
Drew got a big lift from Love – who went 5-of-13 from the floor, 4-of-9 from long-range – but not as big as LeBron James' monster performance. James earned his 60th career Eastern Conference Player of the Week award earlier in the day.
The four-time MVP notched his third triple-double in his last four outings and topped the 40-point plateau for the second time this season – going off for 40 points on 16-for-29 shooting, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc and adding game-highs in rebounds (12) and assists (10) to go with two steals and a block.
Jeff Green continued his solid play in the starting lineup, finishing with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
Kyle Korver returned to the lineup after missing Saturday’s game to deal with a personal issue and picked up right where he left off – tallying 12 points and six boards, going 4-of-8 from the floor, as well as 3-of-6 from deep.
Jordan Clarkson did his thing off the bench – netting double-figures for the 13th time in his 16 games as a Cavalier, chipping in with 17 points, going 5-of-11 from the field and 3-for-7 from three-point range.
Kevin Love knocks down 18 points on Monday night in his first game back since January.
Rookie seven-footer Ante Zizic registered double-figures for the fourth time in his last five games – coming off the bench to tally 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting to go with six boards. Since seeing regular action eight games ago against Detroit, the young Croat has gone 30-of-38 from the floor.
The Wine & Gold withstood another monster performance by the Greek Freak – who led Milwaukee with 37 points and 11 boards. Khris Middleton wasn’t far behind – finishing with 30 points on 11-for-16 shooting and canning five of the Bucks’ eight triples on the night.
Turning Point -- It’s only fitting that the Cavaliers returning players – plus LeBron James, of course – were responsible for the game’s turning point.
With just over four minutes to play in the first half, the Bucks took a three-point edge on Eric Bledsoe’s triple. LeBron cut their advantage to just one with dunk on Cleveland’s next possession and gave it the lead with layup one trip later.
Kyle Korver canned a bomb to give the Cavaliers a four-point edge, and Kevin Love stepped up seconds later with a long triple to give Cleveland a seven-point edge.
In the second stanza, the Bucks would cut Cleveland’s lead to six late in the affair, but would get no closer.
By the Numbers – .937 … Cavaliers’ winning percentage (15-1) when they’ve topped the 120-mark this season.
Quotable – Kevin Love, on his return to the lineup after a 20-game layoff …
"I felt pretty good. Initially, that first wind is always tough, but even after that, I felt like my legs were underneath me and that I could’ve played a little bit more, even in the second blow. But a lot of guys stepped up and played quality minutes tonight, and even in the sloppy fourth quarter we were able to get it done."
Up Next -- After tipping off their three-game homestand with a convincing win over Milwaukee on Monday night at The Q, the Wine & Gold gear up for a big late-season Eastern Conference showdown on Wednesday as the front-running Raptors roll in. On Friday night, they look to close the three-game stay with a win when they welcome the Lottery-bound Suns to Cleveland. On Sunday afternoon, they begin a quick three-game roadie with an afternoon affair in Brooklyn and finish with a back-to-back against Miami and Charlotte. Cleveland closes out the month of March two nights later when Anthony Davis and the Pelicans come to town.