Monday in Milwaukee
On Sunday afternoon, the Cavaliers saw their four-game win streak come to an end – but they didn’t let it go without a fight, bouncing back from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit before finally falling on the last possession of the game.
Returning home after an historic road trip, the Cavs went toe-to-toe with Utah through most of three quarters before the Jazz opened up that 15-point edge early in the fourth. But Cleveland stormed back, completely closing the gap in just over three minutes and setting up a final flurry that ended with Darius Garland missing a long three-pointer and Even Mobley’s putback failing to fall at the buzzer.
The loss snapped their four-game run, but it still proved that the young Cavs can now roll with another Western Conference heavyweight – one that beat them by 30 and 39 points in two meetings last year.
Darius Garland notched his second straight 30-point game, leading Cleveland with 31 points on 11-for-19 shooting, including 5-of-8 from long-range, adding five assists, four boards and a team-high four steals.
Jarrett Allen finished with 17 points and 10 boards for his seventh straight double-double, going 7-for-12 from the floor, adding two steals and a pair of blocks. Mobley also doubled-up 14 points and a team-high 12 boards, adding three assists and the Cavs biggest blocked swat of the game on Sunday, rejecting a Donovan Mitchell offering with 22 seconds to go and Cleveland up a point.
Ricky Rubio added 15 points off the bench and Cedi Osman returned from a three-game absence to notch 11 points, adding five boards, four assists and a pair of steals.
The Bucks are coming off a one-sided home victory over the Heat on Saturday night despite playing their third straight without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who’s day-to-day with right calf soreness.
In that win, the Bucks’ ninth in their last 10 outings, Pat Connaughton drilled seven three-pointers and Bobby Portis doubled-up with 19 points and 16 boards.
With Khris Middleton emerging from a shooting slump, the Bucks are putting points on the board in bunches lately – averaging 117.0 points per over the last eight games.
The Cavs return home for another big Central Division matchup on Wednesday night, welcoming the Bulls to town before heading back out on the road – traveling to Minnesota before wrapping up the week on Saturday night at home against Sacramento.
History
This is the first meeting of the year for these two Central Division rivals with three more to go, including the final game of the 2021-22 season at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The recent history hasn’t gone well for the Wine & Gold in the series, with the Bucks winning the last seven and nine of the last 10 – all but one of those by double-digits.
The Bucks also lead the all-time series, 127-94, and, oddly enough, are one of just three Eastern Conference franchises that the Cavaliers have never met in the postseason – along with Charlotte and the Miami Heat.
Connections
After facing off against former Cavalier, Jordan Clarkson, on Sunday afternoon – holding the league’s reigning top Sixth Man to seven points on 3-for-14 shooting – the 2018 Finals squad reunion tour continues in Milwaukee.
Rodney Hood – who arrived from Utah in a four-team Deadline deal in 2018 and played 66 games with Cleveland – has exclusively come off the bench this season with the Bucks. George Hill – who came to Cleveland from Sacramento in the same deal and started 15 games during that year’s Playoff run – has started 12 of Milwaukee’s first 14 games this year before moving to a reserve role.