It wasn’t a buzzer-beater, but it was another exciting finish for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the same opponent, the Milwaukee Bucks.
Darius Garland hit a key 3-pointer with 45 seconds left and then assisted Jarrett Allen on a layup with 12.2 seconds to go, securing a 116-114 victory for the Cavaliers on Monday night.
Garland led the way with 39 points, the most in the game.
The Cavaliers tied a franchise record, matching their 1976-77 start, by winning their eighth straight game to open the season. On Saturday, Cleveland had edged out the Bucks 114-113 thanks to a last-second shot from Donovan Mitchell.
Milwaukee, which was without Giannis Antetokounmpo due to an adductor injury, dropped its sixth straight game. Damian Lillard scored 36 points, while AJ Green added 21 off the bench. Green hit a 52-foot shot at the buzzer, his seventh 3-pointer of the night.
For much of the game, it looked like Cleveland might dominate, but Milwaukee came alive in the third quarter, making a comeback from a 73-60 halftime deficit. A 3-pointer from Brook Lopez tied the game at 86 with 3:43 left in the third. The teams exchanged 3-pointers before going nearly three minutes without scoring.
Milwaukee went ahead 106-98 after a Green 3-pointer with 6:06 left in the fourth, but then went cold. Cleveland responded with a 10-0 run, led by Garland, who scored seven points, including a 3-pointer and two layups.
Cleveland started strong in the first quarter, jumping out to a 22-10 lead after Garland made two free throws with 5:14 remaining.
Milwaukee fought back and briefly took a 31-30 lead on a 3-pointer from Andre Jackson Jr. with 31.3 seconds left. Garland quickly responded with a 3-pointer of his own, and the Cavaliers ended the first quarter with a 35-31 lead. Garland had 13 points in the opening period.
In the second quarter, Cleveland stretched its lead to 69-50, with Garland hitting another 3-pointer with 2:30 left—Cleveland’s biggest lead of the game.
