Bucks’ Blistering Third Quarter Bests Cavaliers In 119-111 Defeat

After holding a seven-point halftime lead, Cleveland was outscored by Milwaukee 40-21 in the third quarter.

Tonight, the Cleveland Cavaliers seemed poised for their third consecutive win, and sixth in their last seven games through one half against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Wine and Gold did not trail during the game’s first 24 minutes, as they jumped out to a 59-52 advantage.

This momentum, however, greatly changed after halftime.

Cleveland was outscored by Milwaukee 40-21 in the third quarter, as the Bucks eventually took the lead for good just over three minutes into the period.

After the teams traded buckets to start the quarter, the Bucks eventually used two key scoring runs to take a double-digit advantage. The first of these runs was a 10-0 stretch to turn a 61-54 Cavaliers lead into a 64-61 deficit in just under 90 seconds. Then, Milwaukee went on an 11-0 run in just over two minutes to take an 88-73 lead, its largest of the night.

As a team, Cleveland’s defense allowed the Bucks to shoot 15-for-23 (65.2%) from the field, 3-for-8 (37.5%) from three-point range, and a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Offensively, the Wine and Gold shot just 10-for-24 (41.7%) from the field and 1-for-8 (12.5%) from behind the arc, while missing both of their free throw attempts.

Dec 29, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) and forward Dean Wade (32) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) go for a loose ball during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse / © Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Cavaliers, though, nearly completed the 15-point comeback in the fourth quarter. They were able to reduce Milwaukee’s lead to 105-101 with 4:39 left in the period, and 115-111 with 56 seconds remaining.

But eventually, a pair of missed threes led to four straight free throws from intentional fouls for the Bucks to seal the victory.

This was the Cavaliers’ final game of 2023, as their next contest will be on the road against the Toronto Raptors on Monday, January 1 at 7:30 p.m.