CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers entered Wednesday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks, looking to extend their five-game win streak and continue building what has become an explosive offense over the past few weeks. To say they accomplished that in their (enter score) win over the Bucks would be an understatement.
There was never a time when the Bucks even sniffed control of the game. The Cavs got out to a hot start as Donovan Mitchell quickly took over the court. A 20-2 lead early only continued as the game went on. The largest lead of the night was a whopping 47-point differential held by Cleveland.
Mitchell's 31-point night came with 50% shooting from three and seven assists. During his impressive outing, Mitchell hit a career milestone, notching the 11,000 career points marker. While Mitchell led the starters, it was Georges Niang who led the team.
Niang, off the bench, scored a career-high 33 points, shooting a near-perfect 13-for-14 from the field, 5-for-6 from three.
"The ball was going in, and we know what he's capable of," head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the game. "I think one of the things that we've seen is there's more to his game than spot-shooter. Look at the touch that he has once he's able to get in the paint, how he can use his body to create those shots. But he caught a rhythm, his teammates kept finding him and he kept shooting with confidence."
For Niang, he was happy to bask in the accomplishment, but he remained humble and focused on the bigger picture.
"That's great but we have bigger things to look forward to," he said. "I think all of us know it's way bigger than Georges Niang's first 30-point game, believe me."
The hot streaks bled into the rest of the team, Jarrett Allen notching his 10th straight game with a double-double, scoring 21 with 13 rebounds. Allen is now tied with Anderson Varejão and Kenny Carr for the third-highest double-double streak in Cavs history.
Bickerstaff said Allen's numbers are impressive, but what stands out to the coach most goes beyond the stat sheet and into Allen's effort and impact: "He's doing what it takes to win, and that's the most impressive thing about it."
Cleveland went up against the Bucks without their star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the Cavs continue to be without Darius Garland and Evan Mobley—and that didn't stop the Cavs from pressing the gas and keeping control of the game for the entire 48 minutes. A strong offensive outing complemented by their strong defense that held the Bucks to under 100.
Before the game, the Cavs shared their belief the team could continue unlocking their offense—a belief put into action on the court Wednesday night.
And Bickerstaff's grade of his team after the win: "A+"
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