Clutch finish leads unbeaten Cavs past Bucks again

Nov 4, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) celebrates during the second half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

It wasn't a buzzer-beater, but it was the same opponent and same fantastic finish for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Darius Garland sank a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left and set up Jarrett Allen for a layup with 12.2 seconds remaining for the clincher as the Cleveland Cavaliers downed the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 116-114 on Monday.

Garland finished with a game-high 39 points.

The Cavaliers equaled a franchise record set in 1976-77 with their eighth straight win to start the season. Cleveland beat the Bucks 114-113 on Saturday when Donovan Mitchell sank a shot with 0.3 seconds left.

Milwaukee, which played without star Giannis Antetokounmpo (adductor), lost its sixth game in a row since a season-opening win. Damian Lillard scored 36 points and AJ Green had 21 off the bench for the Bucks. Green made a 52-footer at the final buzzer, his seventh 3-pointer of the game.

For the better part of the first three quarters, it looked like a Cleveland rout, but Milwaukee got hot at the end of the third, rallying from 73-60 down at halftime. A Brook Lopez 3-pointer tied the score at 86 with 3:43 left in the third period, and then the teams traded treys before going almost three minutes without another basket.

Milwaukee went up 106-98 on a 3-pointer by Green with 6:06 left in the fourth but didn't score again for four minutes as the Cavaliers went on a 10-0 run highlighted by seven points from Garland - a trey and two baskets in the lane.

Cleveland appeared to take control in the first quarter, racing out to a 22-10 advantage after Garland converted a pair of free throws with 5:14 remaining. Milwaukee came back, taking a 31-30 edge on a 3-pointer by Andre Jackson Jr. with 31.3 seconds left. Garland answered with a trey and Cleveland owned a 35-31 lead after one. Garland had 13 points in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Cleveland took a 69-50 lead on three by Garland with 2:30 left. That was the Cavaliers' biggest lead of the contest.

Cleveland played without reserves Caris LeVert (knee) and Dean Wade (illness).