Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a dominant 40-point performance, but the Milwaukee Bucks came up short as the Cleveland Cavaliers held on for a 118-113 victory on Sunday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 24 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, while Evan Mobley added 23 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. The win lifted the Cavaliers to 2-1, while the Bucks fell to 2-1 after suffering their first loss of the season.
Mobley was flawless from the free-throw line, going 12 for 12 — the first Cleveland player to do so with that many attempts since LeBron James achieved the same mark in 2014 against Utah. His late free throws with 3.5 seconds remaining sealed the game after Milwaukee closed within two points.
Milwaukee, playing without Kyle Kuzma, Cole Anthony, and Kevin Porter Jr., erased an 18-point deficit to tie the game at 98 after Ryan Rollins’ driving dunk with 6:54 left. But Cleveland quickly responded with a 7-0 run capped by a Mitchell midrange jumper, regaining control of the contest.
Sam Merrill added 17 points for the Cavaliers, hitting four three-pointers, and De’Andre Hunter provided 16 points in his first appearance of the season after recovering from a bruised right knee. Lonzo Ball, coming off the bench, hit a crucial three during Cleveland’s fourth-quarter push.
The Cavaliers built a 81-63 lead midway through the third quarter before the Bucks stormed back with a 21-5 run, fueled by Antetokounmpo’s relentless drives and AJ Green’s perimeter shooting. Green finished with 20 points on 6-for-9 shooting from deep.
Antetokounmpo nearly recorded a triple-double, adding 14 rebounds and nine assists to his 40 points. The Bucks shot 50.6 percent from the field but struggled at the free-throw line, converting only 20 of 28 attempts, and were outrebounded 44-37.
Myles Turner scored 13 points, and Rollins finished with 14 for Milwaukee, which saw its comeback halted by Cleveland’s late-game execution. The Cavaliers shot 80 percent from the foul line and scored 28 points off 16 Milwaukee turnovers.
The Bucks return home Tuesday to host the New York Knicks, while the Cavaliers visit the Detroit Pistons on Monday in the second leg of a back-to-back.
