The Milwaukee Bucks took another gut punch on October 31, falling 136-111 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in their second straight blowout loss. Even with rookies Brayden Burries and Nate Ament each hitting career-highs with 14 points, the Cavs’ dominant duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen combined for 52 points to seal Milwaukee’s fate at Fiserv Forum.
The Early Grind And A Brief Burst Of Hope
The first quarter wasn’t exactly a masterpiece, with both teams struggling, shooting 20/49 from the field. Jaime Jaquez Jr. got the Bucks started, sinking two of their first three field goals. But Cleveland’s big-man combo of Mobley and Allen quickly asserted their will inside, tying the game at 10 after five minutes. After a flurry of missed shots, Kasparas Jakucionis injected some much-needed pace and pizzazz into the home side. He nailed a driving layup and a three-pointer after his defender shot under the screen, giving the Bucks a six-point edge.
But then, Kel’el Ware checked in, and things shifted. Ware struggled big time with the Cavs’ tall trees down low on both ends, missing two point-blank shots and getting absolutely put in the mixer on the block. Luckily for Milwaukee, Cleveland subbed in rookie Maleek Thomas, who became an easy target. Tyler Herro promptly scored six quick points on him, including a clutch three at the buzzer to put the Bucks up 25-24 after one.
Cleveland Unleashes The Hammer
Milwaukee had a few encouraging moments to kick off the second quarter, highlighted by a great hustle play from Nate Ament. He recovered a long rebound and found Brayden Burries for a quick three. But that’s when the Cavaliers started to flex their muscles. Rookie Maleek Thomas, despite his defensive issues, proved he could score, dropping two quick threes in the opening minutes. Then Donovan Mitchell really got going, hitting a transition bomb that forced the Bucks to call a timeout, now down 39-31 just three minutes into the quarter.
Milwaukee tried to respond out of the timeout with buckets from Turner and Ament, but they just couldn’t find a way to stop Cleveland. Mobley absolutely asserted his dominance, scoring 10 straight points to extend the lead. Ware finally broke his three-point drought, after going 0/7 in his last two games. But besides that, the Bucks just couldn’t get anything to fall, even though they were generating decent looks. The Cavaliers then went on a devastating 21-3 blitz to close out the quarter, taking a commanding 72-46 lead into halftime.
No Stopping The Bleeding
The third quarter started with Tyler Herro becoming the first Buck to reach double figures with a three-pointer off a chase action with Myles Turner. But it was all for naught. Cleveland’s stout defense was consistently yielding them easy shots on the other end, and three minutes into the third, they had stretched their lead to 81-54. It was a tough night, marking the Bucks’ second consecutive blowout loss.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Brew Hoop.
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