Between the undefeated Cavaliers and the Bucks with four straight defeats, would this duel in Wisconsin confirm the trends or change them? Boiling from afar from the start, Damian Lillard intends to reverse the dynamic for Doc Rivers' troupe, and Giannis Antetokounmpo joins the party for Milwaukee.
Behind their “one-two punch”, and an equally skillful Taurean Prince, the Bucks took the lead in the first half, before being caught (62-61) just before the break, by the impact of Donovan Mitchell but also from the Cleveland bench, the 3-points from Isaac Okoro and Sam Merrill doing a lot of good for the Cavs.
Upon returning from the locker room, the crossover begins between the two teams, the Lillard/Antetokounmpo duo trying to outrun their opponents, without succeeding. Because Donovan Mitchell and his teammates will find solutions, in particular by serving Jarrett Allen near the circle, before we plunge into a totally crazy “money-time”!
After already intense exchanges of baskets upstream, the Cleveland pivot gives his team a three-point lead (109-112) as the last minute approaches. Giannis Antetokounmpo responds to him in the low post and the madness intensifies with a counter from Brook Lopez on Jarrett Allen to keep the Bucks in the game.
At mid-distance, Damian Lillard puts the Bucks back in front (113-112) with nine seconds remaining. Except that Donovan Mitchell, after almost losing the ball, also rises in the intermediate zone, facing Gary Trent Jr. Ficelle, and there are only three tenths left for the Bucks to hope to reverse the match. It's too short and the Cavaliers can breathe (113-114), remaining undefeated with this seventh victory in seven games.
WHAT TO REMEMBER
– The Bucks find some skill. After their cumulative 17/73 3-pointers in defeats against Boston and Memphis, the Bucks found their way back against the Cavaliers, with a nice 18/39 from afar, driven by Damian Lillard's superb 10/15. The problem is that it wasn't enough against the Cavaliers…
– The Cavaliers’ great start. This is a seventh victory in seven outings for Cleveland, which is only one success away from equaling the record for the franchise's best start (8-0) in 1976/77.
– What an end to the match! We advise you to watch the last quarter of the match. Intensity, big shots, counterattacks, stars responding to each other in the final seconds. A great show…
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
