Brook Lopez connected on seven 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 29 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks past the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers 113-98 Wednesday night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo fell just two assists shy of a triple-double, finishing with 16 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks, who won for just the second time in five games after starting the season 9-0.
The Cavaliers, who nearly rallied from a 22-point fourth-quarter hole on Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, fell behind by 20 in the second half Thursday. They pulled within nine in the fourth quarter but could get no closer, losing their fifth straight after an eight-game win streak.
Jordan Nwora led an overpowering Milwaukee bench effort, scoring 21 points and leading the Bucks to a 45-20 bench advantage.
Donovan Mitchell returned from a one-game absence due to a sprained ankle and finished with 23 points, matching the 23-point effort of teammate Darius Garland.
Early on, it was Cleveland that enjoyed the momentum, building a pair of 10-point leads early in the second quarter. But Lopez rallied the Bucks with seven points in the period to help the Bucks close the first half with a 61-60 lead.
Milwaukee used a 13-0 run early in the third quarter to build a 75-63 lead as Lopez connected on a pair of key 3-pointers. Lopez made all four of his shots in the third, including three 3-pointers as Milwaukee opened a 20-point lead at 91-71.
While one Lopez brother was red-hot for Milwaukee, Robin Lopez and the Cavaliers went cold in the third, missing 10 of their first 11 shots, including a pair of dunk attempts at the rim.
The Cavaliers did a solid job defending Antetokounmpo in the first half, holding him to just six points on 1-of-4 shooting.
The Bucks play in Philadelphia Friday before returning home for a four-game homestand beginning Monday against Portland.
The Cavaliers will hope to get back on track when they return home Friday against Charlotte to begin a four-game homestand in a six-day span.
–Field Level Media