Double Overtime Game As Cavaliers Trap Bucks 104-99

It took 2 overtime periods to get it done, but the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks Monday night sending the Cleveland fans home happy from Q Arena 104-99. LeBron James scored a game high 31 points, and center Zydrunas Ilgauskas had a double-double 24 points, 11 rebounds, and scored the first 6 points in the final overtime period to help the Cavaliers seal the win. It was the first win for the team with LBJ in the starting lineup since Tuesday November 27, when they defeated the Boston Celtics. James sprained the index finger on his left hand leaving that game and being put?on the inactive list as the Cavaliers started spiraling downward. This is the team’s second win since the Boston victory, they also won the game that LBJ returned in, but he came off the bench in that contest.

Cleveland Coach Mike Brown went with yet another starting lineup, with Daniel Gibson back in the starting lineup, after recovering from a wisdom tooth extraction. Eric Snow who started Saturday night did not play in this game. Larry Hughes again came off the bench as Brown stuck with Sasha Pavlovic as his starter, Pavlovic scored 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal in 26 minutes of play.

The game was tightly contested all night long, Cleveland led by 2 points at the end of the first, 26-24, and led 46-44 as the two teams went to their respective locker rooms. Milwaukee pulled ahead at the end of the third leading 63-60, going into the final quarter but the game ended in regulation tied 85-85. The first O/T period was a series of runs Cleveland would pull ahead 91-87, then the Bucks scored six straight points as they led 93-91, Cleveland reserve guard rebounded a missed shot putting it in the hole to tie the game again at 93-93 with 16.1 seconds left in the period and it remained that way as time expired. Ilgauskas gave?the Cavaliers the momentum they needed with scoring the first 6 points, and the Bucks never recovered.

James shot 10-25 from the floor missing all 5 of his attempts from outside the arc, and shot?11-13 from the line, with 8 boards, 5 assists, 1 steal. Ilgauskas had 3 blocked shots, 2 steals, 1 assist, to go with his double-double, Gibson scored 12 points, 5 assists, 3 boards, 1 steal, 1 block.? Devin Brown was? one rebound short of a double-double scoring 11 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal.

Milwaukee had 6 players in double figures, Michael Redd one assist short of a double-double scored 22 points, 9 assists, 7 rounds, 3 steals. Mo Williams scored 18 points, 8 assists, 7 boards, Desmond Mason did have the double-double scoring 15 points, 11 boards, 2 blocks, 2 assists. Yi Jianlian scored 13 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 blocked shot, and Charlie Villanueva also scored 13 for the Bucks, 9 boards, 1 block. Cleveland is now 11-14, while Milwaukee is now 10-14.