In a nail-biting finish on Wednesday night, the Milwaukee Bucks secured a narrow 118-116 victory over the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers, marking their fifth win in the last six games. Kevin Porter Jr. led the Bucks with 20 points, supported by Ryan Rollins' 18 points, while Jarrett Allen starred for the Cavaliers with 27 points and 11 rebounds.
Close Call at the Buzzer
The game came down to the wire when Allen appeared to tie the score with a basket at the buzzer, but officials ruled that time had expired, sealing the Bucks' win. Cleveland faced significant absences, playing without James Harden due to a broken right thumb, Donovan Mitchell with a strained right groin, and Evan Mobley. Milwaukee also missed Giannis Antetokounmpo for the 13th consecutive game because of a strained right calf.
Late-Game Drama
In the final moments, Jaylon Tyson brought Cleveland within 116-114 with two free throws. After a missed three-pointer by Milwaukee's Kyle Kuzma, Dennis Schroder tied the game at 116 with a drive from the right side of the lane with 35.6 seconds left. Porter then hit a clutch jumper from the free-throw line with 20.2 seconds remaining to give the Bucks the lead for good. Schroder, acquired from Sacramento on February 1, scored 26 points, his highest total in nine games with Cleveland.
The loss dropped the Cavaliers to their second defeat in 10 outings, slipping them to fourth place in the Eastern Conference, half a game behind the New York Knicks.
Spurs Extend Winning Streak
In Toronto, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Raptors 110-107, extending their season-best winning streak to 10 games despite an off-night from Victor Wembanyama. Devin Vassell paced the Spurs with 21 points, while De'Aaron Fox added 20. Wembanyama struggled offensively, shooting just 3-of-12 for 12 points, but he remained a defensive force with five blocks, including a critical stop on Jakob Poeltl in the final minute.
Toronto's Brandon Ingram had a chance to tie the game late, but his three-pointer missed, allowing San Antonio to secure their fifth consecutive victory over the Raptors.
Pistons Overcome Short-Handed Thunder
In Detroit, Jalen Duren recorded 29 points and 15 rebounds, while Cade Cunningham posted 29 points and 13 assists to lead the Pistons past the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder 124-116. Oklahoma City was without five of its top six scorers: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (abdomen), Isaiah Hartenstein (calf), Chet Holmgren (back), Ajay Mitchell (abdomen), and Jalen Williams (hamstring). Isaiah Joe, the only starter from that group, exited at halftime due to a bruised hip.
Duncan Robinson contributed 16 points for East-leading Detroit, which improved to 43-14 after winning six of its last seven games. Jaylin Williams had a career-high 30 points for the defending champion Thunder, and Cason Wallace added 23. Oklahoma City fell to 45-15 after winning five of its previous six games.
Other NBA Results
In other games, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 133-112, the Houston Rockets routed the Sacramento Kings 128-97, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Boston Celtics 103-84.
