Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo scored in double figures for the eighth consecutive time on Sunday, but the high-flying Cleveland Cavaliers opened a three-game road trip with a 108-90 victory on Sunday.
After recording a double-double against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday morning, Antetokounmpo had a 15-point and nine-rebound performance, but with four-time MVP LeBron James taking over there wasn’t much the young Bucks side could do.
James led all scorers with 28 points, JR Smith scored 21 of his 23 points from behind the arc, and the sloppy Bucks who turned the ball over 23 times could not avoid their sixth consecutive defeat.
It was the Bucks’ longest losing streak of the season.
While five Bucks starters scored eleven points or more, the team bench was unproductive, adding a combined 16 points from six players.
“This is a team game and we’ve been built as a team,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd said.
“It’s not just one guy. We’ve played 10 to 11 guys and early on our bench was playing at a high level. Right now our bench isn’t giving us anything.”
The Cavaliers scored 13 three-pointers, including 64 second-half points.
On the other hand, Milwaukee continued to struggle from beyond the arc, making just 3 of their 12 attempts.
Antetokounmpo insists they need to work harder and start to win games. Milwaukee, who fell to 4-13 since a trade deadline deal that sent Brandon Knight to Phoenix and acquired Michael Carter-Williams from Philadelphia, remain in sixth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race, leading Miami – their next opponent – by just 1.5 game.
