Collin Sexton scored 25 points, and Jordan Clarkson added 23 off the bench to lead the host Cleveland Cavaliers to a 107-102 win over the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.
Coming into the game, Sexton had been the first rookie to score at least 23 points in six consecutive games since Tim Duncan did it twice for the San Antonio Spurs in 1998. Sexton now has accomplished the feat in seven straight games.
With Cleveland nursing a 103-100 lead, Sexton's driving layup put the Cavaliers up by five with 42.5 seconds left. Eric Bledsoe followed with a pair of free throws for the Bucks.
Cedi Osman's corner jumper was off the mark, giving the Bucks one last chance with 11.5 seconds remaining. Milwaukee called timeout, and the inbounds pass went through Pat Connaughton's hands with Clarkson recovering for Cleveland.
Clarkson, an 84.8 percent free-throw shooter, iced the win with a pair of foul shots with 8.3 seconds left.
Cleveland center Ante Zizic added eight points and 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive end in the fourth quarter to help the Cavaliers improve their home record to 6-2 since the All-Star break.
Milwaukee dressed only nine players and was without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Mirotic. Antetokounmpo missed his second straight game with an ankle injury. The Bucks announced Wednesday that Mirotic will be out two to four weeks with a thumb injury.
Khris Middleton led Milwaukee with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Bledsoe added 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Cleveland got back both Larry Nance Jr. (chest) and Tristan Thompson (foot). Nance, who missed the previous five games, finished with seven points, seven rebounds and five assists in 23 minutes. Thompson, who had not played in the past 26 games, contributed seven points and six rebounds in 12 minutes.
The Cavaliers lost Kevin Love after he and Bledsoe banged heads late in the first half. Love stayed in the game for a few possessions but then left the court and was being evaluated for a possible concussion.
--Field Level Media
Milwaukee | Cleveland | |
Khris Middleton 26 | Scoring | Collin Sexton 25 |
Eric Bledsoe 8 | Assists | Larry Nance Jr. 5 |
Khris Middleton 12 | Rebounds | Kevin Love 10 |
Eric Bledsoe 8 | Free Throws Made | Jordan Clarkson 4 |
D.J. Wilson 3 | Steals | Jordan Clarkson 2 |
Ersan Ilyasova 2 | Blocks | Larry Nance Jr. 2 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Milwaukee | 102 | 39.6 | 13-32 | 17-21 | 24 | 51 | 7 | 9 | 10 |
Cleveland | 107 | 41.9 | 11-39 | 18-24 | 18 | 54 | 6 | 4 | 12 |