The Cleveland Cavaliers looked like the team they’re supposed to be in a 136-111 win over the Bucks.
It wasn’t clean from the opening tip. Cleveland stumbled through the first quarter and trailed 26-25 after one, which made the early part of Halloween a little uneasy.
Then the offense caught fire in a big way. The Cavs poured in 48 points in the second quarter and followed that with 37 more in the third, turning the game into a rout.
The shot-making stood out, but so did the ball movement. Cleveland finished with 41 assists on 52 made baskets, and 20 of those makes came from three-point range. That kind of rhythm is what made the night feel so overwhelming once the Cavs got rolling.
What really separated this one was how much the big men drove it. James Harden and Donovan Mitchell didn’t force the issue; they combined for 28 points on 9-for-15 shooting and spent plenty of time setting up Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Those two carried the scoring load, finishing with 52 points together while going 23-for-32 from the field.
Mobley kept knocking down threes, while Allen did most of his damage right at the rim. Twenty-four of Allen’s 25 points came in the paint. With the frontcourt taking over like that, Cleveland finally played the kind of game people have been waiting to see after a string of blown leads this season, and this time the big advantage held.
There was also a notable night for Meleek Thomas, who was the first player off the bench along with Sam Merrill. That showed the trust Kenny Atkinson has in him.
Thomas stepped in as the third ball handler behind Mitchell and Harden, scored 10 points, and didn’t look intimidated. He also had several defensive possessions against Tyler Herro that ended with Thomas shutting him down.
Merrill had a rough shooting night, but Thomas helped cover for it by hitting threes while Merrill handled the ball as a slasher.
Cleveland now heads home to face the very injured Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
In Other News...
Cavs Just Unlocked A Formula The Bucks Couldnt Handle
The Cavaliers found a way to make life miserable for Milwaukee by leaning into the size and skill of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, and it showed on both ends of the floor. Allen and Mobley were central to the game plan, giving Cleveland a steadier interior presence than the Bucks could handle while also helping set the tone defensively. Donovan Mitchell and Mario Hezonja chipped in as well, but the night was defined by how often Cleveland could turn to its frontcourt and keep the pressure on.
For the Bucks, the problem was less about one hot hand than a broader inability to keep Clevelands bigs from dictating the action. Milwaukees defense struggled to contain the Cavaliers inside, and the matchup exposed just how difficult it can be when Cleveland gets that part of its offense rolling. Tyler Herro also came up short of expectations, adding to a night in which the Bucks never quite found the answer to the Cavaliers interior edge. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Face A Backcourt Problem That Could Force A Tough Choice
Since Donovan Mitchell arrived, the Cavaliers have lived with a familiar problem in the backcourt: how to keep enough defensive size on the floor without dulling the offense. James Harden has helped some because of his strength and ability to hold up better inside, but opponents still look to drag him into space and attack with quicker guards, which keeps Cleveland searching for cleaner lineup answers.
The numbers have only sharpened the debate, because Mitchell and Harden have looked better when they are not sharing the floor and Cleveland has gotten more from Mitchell alongside shooting around him. Harden still matters as a late-game scorer and Mitchell remains the engine, but the Cavs are weighing whether a different starting mix might better fit the way they want to defend and close games. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs May Have Found The Offensive Formula Fans Wanted
Kenny Atkinson made it clear he wanted Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley more involved offensively, and the Cavaliers responded in a way that looked a lot like the kind of balance this roster has been chasing. Against Milwaukee, Cleveland leaned into its size and kept working the ball inside, a formula that put pressure on a Bucks defense that struggled to hold up around the rim.
The result was a convincing 136-111 win built on interior dominance and a frontcourt that kept the offense humming. Mobley and Allen were central to that push, and the Cavs spent the night attacking the paint with enough consistency to make the matchup feel lopsided long before the final buzzer. The bigger question now is whether this was a one-night answer or the start of something Cleveland can keep repeating. [Read more 🡒]