On December 21, Beijing time, the 2024-25 NBA regular season is underway, the Bucks lost to the Cavaliers 101-124, the Bucks' 3-game winning streak was ended, and the Cavaliers ushered in 3 consecutive wins.

Statistics

Bucks: Antetokounmpo had 33 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and three steals in the third quarter, Brook Lopez 10 points and Middleton 14 points

Cavaliers: Mitchell 27 points and 6 assists, Garland 16 points, Dean Wade 15 points, Mobley 15 points and 7 rebounds, Jarrett Allen 10 points and 10 rebounds

Background

The Bucks have been on a good streak lately, winning three straight games after beating the Hawks 110-102 in their last game, and winning the championship against the Thunder in the NBA Cup, and currently sitting in fifth place in the East with a 14-11 record. He is the absolute core of the Bucks, averaging 32.7 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game so far this season, and won the NBA Cup MVP honor with a triple-double of 26 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists in the NBA Cup championship game. However, against the Cavaliers today, Lillard, another core of the Bucks, missed the game due to a right calf strain.

The Cavaliers continue to soar, winning two straight games after beating the Nets 130-101 in their last game, winning six of their last seven games and currently leading the league with a 23-4 record. The Cavaliers have a balanced offense and defense this season, with six players on the team averaging double-doubles per game, averaging 121.5 points per game, ranking first in the league in offensive efficiency (120.6) and ninth in defensive efficiency (110.3). In addition, the Cavaliers also lead the league in shooting percentage (50.4) and three-point percentage (39.9). As a leader, Mitchell leads the team with 23.3 points and 1.6 steals per game. Okoro missed both games against the Bucks today, but Max Strus is back.

Game recap

The Cavaliers, who were playing at home, took the lead in attacking, and Mitchell and Wade combined to hit two three-pointers to lead the team to an 8-3 start. The Bucks' offense was stymied, hitting just one of their first seven shots. Layups and free throws couldn't disrupt the Cavaliers' rhythm, and the home team went on another 9-2 run, extending the Cavaliers' advantage to nine points and forcing the Bucks to stop. The game restarted, and Portis and Connaughton hit back-to-back three-pointers to help the Bucks tie the score at 18-21. At the critical moment, Mitchell stepped up, first assisted Levert to shoot a three-pointer, and then he scored five points on consecutive free throws. At the end of the first quarter, the Cavaliers led the Bucks 29-20.

In the second quarter, when the Cavaliers extended their lead to 12 points, Antetokounmpo scored two consecutive goals to help the Bucks tie the score at 28-36. However, in the next 4 minutes or so, the Bucks only scored 2 goals, and the Cavaliers took the opportunity to launch a 12-4 offensive wave to regain a 16-point advantage and stop the Bucks again. At the critical moment, Brother Alphabet's open dunk helped the Bucks stop the bleeding, but Merrill immediately responded with a three-pointer, and Garland scored eight points to give the Cavaliers a 64-45 lead. The Cavaliers' dunks were still difficult to stop the Cavaliers' progress, and Mobley and Mitchell scored baskets one after another, and the Cavaliers led the Bucks 69-51 at halftime.

In the rematch, the Bucks missed all of their first five shots, while the Cavaliers became more and more courageous, extending their lead to as many as 26 points after a 9-0 mini-climax. A layup and a three-pointer from Prince helped stop the bleeding for the Bucks, but Garland then responded with a pinpoint three-pointer that the Cavaliers rewrote the score to 81-56 and halted the Bucks. Brother Alphabet, who was struggling to support him, could only stand up again at this moment, and scored 11 points on consecutive free throws to help the Bucks chase 74-92. Mitchell, who is also the leader of the team, did not show weakness, first played 2+1 on Portis, and after a few rounds, he hit a three-point shot from the outside. At the end of the third quarter, the Cavaliers led the Bucks 103-76.

In the final quarter, the Cavaliers came up with a 10-3 offensive wave that extended the advantage to 36 points. Subsequently, the Cavaliers replaced the main core, and the game entered the training time, and finally the Cavaliers won the game.

Both sides start

Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Torrien Prince, Brooke Lopez, Andre Jackson Jr., AJ Green

Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen