Copyright cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — So, it is possible for a Cleveland sports team to win on Sunday? In front of a sellout crowd looking for a sports pick-me-up following another lousy football afternoon, the Cavs delivered, topping the Milwaukee Bucks, 118-113, in the home opener. Cleveland is now 2-1 on the season. Entering the game with their opening night starting lineup for the first time, the almost full-strength Cavs got off to a slow start, trailing Milwaukee by two at the end of the first quarter. But Cleveland picked up the defensive intensity in the second quarter, outscoring the Bucks 22-9 over the first seven-plus minutes of the period to seize control and build a then-game-high 11-point advantage. The lead eventually reached 18 at one point in the third quarter. Immediately after Friday’s win over Brooklyn — a game in which Cleveland nearly squandered a massive lead — team leader Donovan Mitchell spoke sternly about needing to squash that bad habit and play with a killer instinct. Sunday was another chance to show it, to prove that they learned from Friday’s late-game shortcomings, which brought back haunting memories of last year’s playoff flameout. It got tense inside Rocket Arena. There were some grumbles directed at the home team. Milwaukee superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo tried to muscle his team to victory, with the Bucks pulling even around the seven-minute mark of the fourth quarter. But the Cavs, still without Darius Garland (toe surgery) and Max Strus (foot surgery), never broke. They answered with a 7-0 run, creating a bit of needed breathing room. Rally towels spun around. Fans rose up. Chants of de-fense filled the arena. Even though the scrappy Bucks made it a one-possession game multiple times in the final 30 seconds, the Cavs hung on for a second straight victory, sealing it with clutch free throws. Cleveland outscored Milwaukee, 32-29, in the fourth quarter. Mitchell, Friday’s primary messenger, made three of Cleveland’s final four shots. He finished with 24 points on 9 of 20 from the field to go with four assists and three rebounds in 33 minutes. Evan Mobley added a season-high 23 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks. Mobley also hit all 12 of his free-throw attempts, including six in the final 15 seconds. Sam Merrill (17 points), De’Andre Hunter (16) and Lonzo Ball (11) reached double figures in scoring as well. Milwaukee — which was without starting point guard Kevin Porter Jr. and reserve forward Kyle Kuzma — got 40 points, 14 boards and nine assists from Antetokounmpo. Swingman AJ Green chipped in with 20 points while fill-in starter Ryan Rollins had 14. For the second straight game, closing out an opponent wasn’t easy. They got tested late — again. But the Cavs kept their composure and didn’t allow Milwaukee, despite a furious rally, to reclaim the lead at any point in the second half. That’s progress — and exactly what the city needed. Up next The Cavs will travel to Detroit for the second game of a back-to-back on Monday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
