The Cleveland Cavaliers were handed a 118-116 upset at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks during their visit to the Fiserv Forum in the absence of both James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. The Bucks produced a sparkling team performance without Giannis Antetokounmpo as a total of seven players finished in double digits, led by Kevin Porter Jr., who delivered 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
However, the Cavs were close to pushing the game to overtime with a Jarrett Allen last-ditch attempt. Dennis Schroder initially ran inside the paint after Kevin Porter Jr. had given Milwaukee the lead a 2-point lead with 20 seconds on the clock, per a post on X by MrBuckBuck.
However, after Schroder’s contested layup eventually dropped to Allen, he put up another shot that dropped inside through the crowd. While the layup was made, the shot was released just a moment too late, which gave the Bucks the win.
The Cavs as a result dropped to the No. 4 seed behind the New York Knicks with a 37-23 record. Both James Harden and Mitchell sat out, which meant that Allen was at the heart of the Cavs’ push.
He finished with 27 points and 11 rebounds for what was his 10th double-double in 11 games. Allen has produced a double-double in every game since his 40-point performance against the Portland Trail Blazers earlier in February.
And while Allen top-scored for his team, Dennis Schroder took up part of the offensive production, finishing with 26 points and five assists with 8-14 shooting. The Cavs did a decent job of keeping up with Milwaukee in the absence of their star men.
However, the Bucks dominated with their shooting on the night, converting 54.5% from the field and 19 of their 45 three-pointers on the night. This proved enough, with the Cavs going just 48.3% from the field and exactly 30% from beyond the arc.