MILWAUKEE — A steal, an outlet and Giannis Antetokounmpo did the rest.
The 24-year-old reigning NBA MVP went Jumpman — Michael Jordan’s logo — with the one-handed jam, as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Cleveland Cavs 129-112 on Monday.
If you don’t know where Jumpman came for:
Khris Middleton scored 21 points, George Hill added 19 and Antetokounmpo had 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in 29 minutes.
Milwaukee led by as many as 16 points before Cleveland rallied and cut its deficit to 96-91 in the fourth quarter.
Middleton and Lopez, however, led a 28-12 run that pushed the Bucks’ lead to 124-103 with less than 4 minutes remaining. Middleton had 10 points in the run, including a pair of 3-pointers, as the Bucks pulled away.
TIP-INS
Cavaliers: Former Bucks player John Henson played 8 minutes (3 points, 3 rebounds) in Cleveland’s 110-99 victory over Indiana on Saturday but suffered a strained right hamstring that could sideline him for a month. The Cavaliers acquired him from Milwaukee in a three-team deal last December, but he was out the rest of the season following wrist surgery. Henson and Ante Zizic (left foot plantar fasciitis) were out, leaving the Cavaliers thin in the frontcourt. … First-year Cleveland coach John Beilein is quite familiar with Bucks forward D.J. Wilson, who played for Beilein at Michigan. “He’s got so many tools with his length and overall ability,” Beilein said. “He can shoot; he can pass. Finding his place and staying healthy and all those things are going to be key for him.”
Bucks: Foul woes plagued Milwaukee in its first two games, and Antetokounmpo fouled out of both contests. Opponents are doing their best to draw fouls on the Bucks star or force a call by the officials. “I haven’t picked up on a strategy,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “I think Giannis can be more disciplined. He knows that. I have a ton of confidence that he can self-correct.”
UP NEXT
Cavaliers: Host the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
Bucks: Play at the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.