Observations: Cavs Victory Over Bucks

The Cleveland Cavaliers convincingly defeated the Milwaukee Bucks on their home floor.

The Cleveland Cavaliers proved that they are one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference with their 112-110 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Cleveland was just 48 hours removed from a double-digit loss to the very same team.

However, they bounced back and convincingly drafted the Bucks on their home floor. Here are some key observations from that victory. 

More Competitive Matchup

The Cavs smoked the Bucks by 40 points earlier in January. Milwaukee beat Cleveland in a game the Cavs never led on Wednesday of last week. Friday night's game was much more competitive.

There were seven total lead changes in the games and the largest lead for either team was 17 points which came by the Cavs in the fourth quarter. In the first quarter, the biggest lead was just eight points. It was a back-and-forth affair that ended with Cleveland on top.

Is this a preview of a potential playoff matchup come April?

Jan 26, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) reaches for a rebound in front of Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) and guard Malik Beasley (5) during the second quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports / © Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Back To Basics For Cavs In Second Half Surge

The Cavs have reshaped their offense over the last month to become a predominantly three-point shooting team. However, they went to the basics during their second-half surge.

Cleveland only shot 43% (7-16) from behind the arc in the final 24 minutes. Instead, they relied on driving to the basket to spark their offense. The Cavaliers outscored the Bucks 26-12 in the paint in the second half.

The Cavs continue to show how dynamic of a team they are.

Cavaliers Defense

Cleveland made it effort to be more aggressive after their loss to the Bucks on Wednesday night. Clearly, they took that heart, and their defense on Friday proved that.

They made life difficult for Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez. Those three combined to score 47 points and shot an inefficient 29% (16-54) from the floor. Giannis Antetokounmpo did score 22 points, however, he was in could trouble for the majority of the night