Bucks hold off Cavaliers; Antetokounmpo, Lillard lead scoring
Damian Lillard scores past Isaac Okoro of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Dec. 29. (Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND - Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points and 16 rebounds, Damian Lillard scored 24 of his 31 points in the second half, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-111 on Friday night.
Antetokounmpo and Lillard each scored 14 points in the pivotal third quarter when Milwaukee outscored Cleveland 40-21 to erase a 15-point deficit and take the lead for good. The Bucks have the third-best record in the league at 24-8.
Donovan Mitchell had 34 points, six rebounds and nine assists for Cleveland as he returned from a four-game absence. Jarrett Allen scored a career-high 30 points on 15-of-17 shooting and had 12 rebounds and six assists. Cleveland struggled with its long-distance shooting, missing 37 of 43 shots from 3-point range.
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The Cavaliers fell to 5-2 since learning that power forward Evan Mobley (left knee surgery) and point guard Darius Garland (jaw fracture) will be sidelined until February.
Malik Beasley scored 15 points on five 3-pointers and Khris Middleton had 13 points and a season-high 11 assists for Milwaukee. Brook Lopez added nine points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots.
The Bucks, who went 3-1 on a four-game trip, will play just one home game during an eight-game run that ends Jan. 6 in Houston.
Antetokounmpo is averaging 30.9 points and continues to battle right calf discomfort. He has missed just one game this season due to the nagging injury. Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said the injury will remain a day-to-day issue going forward.
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Allen made his first nine shots and scored 18 points in the opening half, helping Cleveland take a 59-53 lead into the break. Antetokounmpo had 14 points, six rebounds and five assists in 19 minutes.
Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam are co-owners of the Bucks.
Up next
Bucks: Host Indiana on Monday night.
Cavaliers: Visit Toronto on Monday night.