RAPID REMATCH
The Cavaliers close out their four-game road trip – and their two-game set with the Bucks – taking on Giannis and Co. on Friday night at Fiserv Forum.
Cleveland saw its eight-game win streak snapped on Wednesday night, with Milwaukee jumping out to an early lead, eventually extending their edge to 21 points in the third quarter before the Cavaliers closed to within six late in the fourth. The Wine & Gold shot 51 percent from the floor and their second unit outscored the Bucks’ by 20 points, but couldn’t overcome the Greek Freak’s second straight triple-double as Milwaukee avenged a 40-point loss from the previous week.
The Cavs return home to close out the month of January – welcoming the Clippers to town on Monday followed by a visit from the Pistons on Wednesday. From there, they get right back on the road, traveling to Memphis on Thursday and down to San Antonio two nights later.
STAR POWER
On Thursday night, Damian Lillard was named to his eighth All-Star appearance in his first season in the Eastern Conference. He’ll start alongside Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton and teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo.
At 25.3ppg, Lillard’s scoring average is down nearly seven points from his last season in Portland, but the 12-year veteran is still Milwaukee’s second-leading scorer. Lillard has had some monster games against Cleveland over the years, and he’s been good through three head-to-head meetings this year, averaging 25.3ppg on 42 percent shooting. On Wednesday night, Lillard went 8-for-21 from the floor for 28 points.
Donovan Mitchell wasn’t named an All-Star starter, but there’s little doubt he’ll be making his fifth appearance in the midseason classic when reserves are announced next Thursday.
Mitchell struggled shooting the ball through the first three quarters of Wednesday’s loss in Milwaukee, but led Cleveland’s rally down the stretch, scoring 12 of his 23 points in the final quarter. The 7th-year man from Louisville also handed out a team-high eight assists, his fifth straight game with at least seven helpers.
In six meetings against Milwaukee as a Cavalier, Mitchell has topped the 30-point plateau in half of them – averaging 29.3ppg on 49 percent shooting over that two-year span.
BENCH TRIAL
In Wednesday’s loss in Milwaukee, Cleveland’s reserves outscored Milwaukee’s, 42-22, marking the return of Caris LeVert and the debut of Damian Jones as the first big off the bench following Tristan Thompson’s suspension.
For two other second unit guys – Sam Merrill and Georges Niang – they simply continued their impressive recent runs on Wednesday.
Merrill went 4-for-9 from long-range to finish with 12 points, adding three assists in 26 minutes of work. It was Merrill’s ninth double-figure scoring game in his last 10 outings – averaging 14.3ppg on 43 percent shooting from beyond the arc over that stretch.
Niang was even better – going 5-for-7 from the floor for 14 points to go with four boards and a pair of assists. The 30-year-old forward has been solid all year in his first season in Cleveland and has now tallied double-figures in eight of his last nine – averaging 14.6ppg on 55 percent shooting from the floor, 48 percent from long-range over that span. In his previous meeting against Milwaukee, Niang went off for a career-high 33 points.
After missing his previous two games with a sore wrist, LeVert finished with nine points, four boards, four assists and a pair of steals on Wednesday. Damian Jones was solid in 10 minutes, going 2-of-2 from the floor for five points and a pair of assists.
Bobby Portis is Milwaukee’s top reserve – averaging 12.3ppg on 50 percent shooting through the first half of his ninth NBA season. He finished with 16 points in the 40-point blowout last week in Cleveland, but the Cavs have held him under double-figures in the other two meetings this year.