© Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks lose badly to the Cleveland Cavaliers
The Milwaukee Bucks heavily felt the pinch of Giannis Antetokounmpo's absence as they succumbed to a blowout 95-135 loss at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.
Giannis was sidelined with a bruised right shoulder, and the Cavaliers were quick to pounce on his absence as they raced to a blistering 22-2 start.
One-sided contest
Cleveland led big at the half, 66-41, and the outcome of the contest was practically sealed when the Cavaliers posted a whopping 108-67 advantage after three quarters of play. Cleveland's biggest lead stood at 47 points as it easily padded its winning run to six and improved to 24-15 in the season.
The Cavaliers also avenged their 111-119 loss to the Bucks during their first meeting on December 29th.The loss snapped Milwaukee's three-game winning streak as it faltered in the first game of a three-game road trip.
The Bucks, who stayed at second place in the Eastern Conference with a 28-13 record, will play their next two games against the Detroit Pistons.
Milwaukee's two other stars struggle
Damian Lillard led Milwaukee with 17 points but shot just 7-for-20 from the field. With Giannis, Khris Middleton was expected to carry a heavier load for the Bucks, but the veteran shooter just scored two points on a dismal 1-for-10 shooting night.
Jae Crowder played his first game since November 11th and finished with 15 points in 15 minutes of playing time.
Georges Niang led the Cavaliers with a career-high 33 points, making 13 of his 14 attempts from the field. Donovan Mitchell also played big for the Cavaliers as he fired 31 points. Jarret Allen came up with a solid double-double of 21 points and 13 rebounds.
The contest was the first of three games between the Bucks and Cavs in nine days. After facing Detroit on Saturday and Monday, the Bucks will return home to play two straight games against Cleveland.
