Cavs 102, Bucks 95: LeBron James stars as Michael Beasley suffers knee injury

CLEVELAND – Nothing came easy for Giannis Antetokounmpo or the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night.

The Cleveland Cavaliers packed the paint against the Bucks all-star and welcomed back LeBron James from a one-game absence as they pulled away late to grab a 102-95 victory at Quicken Loans Arena.

Antetokounmpo was averaging 29 points and 10 rebounds in three games against the Cavaliers this season, but this time he was limited to nine points on 4-of-13 shooting. The Bucks also lost forward Michael Beasley to a left knee injury in the second quarter, taking one of their top offensive weapons away.

"In the first three games it was easier to get in the paint," Antetokounmpo said. "They were expecting us and Beasley was not out there, Khris (Middleton) was not out there. A lot of attention.

"But I think we did a good job of moving the ball and finding the open guys. We knocked down shots and we were close in the game. But down the stretch, they made better plays than us."

James did not play Saturday in the Cavaliers' home loss to the Chicago Bulls after suffering a case of strep throat. He returned and finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for Cleveland (41-17), which won the season series with Milwaukee, 3-1. Point guard Kyrie Irving hit some clutch baskets in the fourth quarter and contributed 25 points and nine assists.

Milwaukee trailed, 86-85, before the Cavaliers went on an 11-0 run to break the game open. James started it with a dunk leading to a three-point play, and Irving added a basket and a three-pointer. Derrick Williams ended the spurt with a three-pointer to give Cleveland a 97-85 lead.

"We expect they're going to do that," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said of James and Irving. "On the offensive end, we've got to be patient. We took some bad shots.

"The way we got in the game and had the lead was by sharing the ball."

Milwaukee led by as many as seven points early in the third quarter but Cleveland rallied to take a 77-73 lead entering the fourth quarter, helped by threes from Kyle Korver and Williams late in the period.

BOX SCORE:Cavaliers 102, Bucks 95

The Bucks stayed close despite losing forward Beasley on a grotesque-looking play in the second quarter. Beasley was defending against James when he turned his left knee in an awkward fashion and immediately signaled for help. He had to be helped off the court by teammates Thon Maker and Greg Monroe.

Beasley, who left the locker room on crutches, is scheduled to have tests done on the knee Tuesday in Milwaukee.

"Everyone was really worried, and you think the worst situation," Bucks guard Matthew Dellavedova said. "He seemed in pretty good spirits when we got back here. I think he'll be OK. We'll see."

Middleton did not travel with the team to Cleveland because he is not yet playing in the second game of back-to-back sets. He played 28 minutes Sunday in the Bucks' 100-96 victory over Phoenix at home.

Antetokounmpo contributed eight assists and seven rebounds in 42 minutes. Malcolm Brogdon led the Bucks (26-32) with 20 points and Monroe added 13. John Henson played 20 minutes off the bench and had 10 points and five rebounds.

"It was tough to guard that LeBron-Kyrie pick and roll," Henson said. "They made the correct plays, the correct passes, and we couldn't recover."

Henson has been in and out of the rotation but scored three baskets early in the fourth quarter as the Bucks threatened to pull off an upset in the nationally televised game.

"That's kind of been my career in Milwaukee, being ready," Henson said. "Come off the bench, might play, might not play, so I have to stay ready and contribute when I get a chance. I think I've done a really good job of that as of late, and I've just got to keep it up."

James said he wasn't feeling great but good enough to play. The Cavaliers have posted a 4-19 record without James in the lineup over the past two-plus seasons.

"I felt good enough to lace them up and make a couple plays to help our team win," James said. "I got a workout in the weight room and still felt like I had a little more energy."

THREE TAKEAWAYS

1. Bucks forward Michael Beasley’s left knee gave way as he tried to defend a drive by LeBron James with 8:34 left in the second quarter. Beasley immediately knew something was wrong and he was helped off the floor by teammates Greg Monroe and Thon Maker, who carried him to the locker room. The Bucks termed it a left knee sprain. The injury came less than three weeks after Jabari Parker suffered a torn left anterior cruciate ligament in a game against Miami on Feb. 8. Beasley had 11 points in 9 minutes before being hurt.

2. Cleveland hit just 3 of 13 three-point attempts in the first half, helping the Bucks stay within 52-50 at intermission. Milwaukee was 5 of 13 from three-point range in the half, including 2 of 4 by guard Tony Snell. The Cavaliers went 10 of 27 from the three-point line while the Bucks were 11 of 29.

3. Matthew Dellavedova’s shooting struggles continued in the first half as he missed all five shots he attempted, including 3 three-pointers. He was 0 of 6 and went scoreless in 24 minutes in the Bucks’ victory over Phoenix on Sunday. He finished 2 of 10 from the field for four points and was 0 of 5 on threes. "I felt good," Dellavedova said. "I had a couple rim out and I hit a couple floaters. It would have been nice to hit a couple early to try to get a bit of a lead. I've had some good looks so I'm not too worried. I just have to keep taking good shots." Since the break Dellavedova is 3 for 22 from the field (13.6%).

UP NEXT

Teams: Denver Nuggets (26-33) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (26-32).

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Where: BMO Harris Bradley Center.

About the Nuggets: Denver will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back set after it opens a two-game trip in Chicago on Tuesday night. Center Nikola Jokic had his first career triple-double with 20 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in the Nuggets’ 121-117 victory over the Bucks on Feb. 3 in Denver. The Nuggets hit a franchise-record tying 24 three-pointers in a 132-110 rout of Golden State on Feb. 13. The Nuggets acquired center Mason Plumlee in a trade with Portland and added veteran center Roy Hibbert in a deal with the Bucks on Thursday before the deadline.