Cavs fall to Bucks in double OT; Eric Bledsoe gets buckets

Alec Brzezinski

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Cavs fall to Bucks in double OT; Eric Bledsoe gets buckets image

With a playoff atmosphere swirling around the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee on Saturday, the Bucks held off the Cavaliers 108-105 in double overtime.

The young Bucks (see what we did there?) finished the game with seven players in double-figures. Point guards Michael Carter-Williams and Jerryd Bayless led Milwaukee with 17 points apiece. Greg Monroe and Giannis Antetokounmpo both scored 16.

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After starting the season with three straight loses, the Bucks (5-5) have rebounded to win five of their last seven games. The talented, but inexperienced Milwaukee sqaud was a trendy sleeper pick heading into the season after adding Monroe via free agency and getting Jabari Parker back from the torn ACL that derailed his rookie season.

LeBron James did everything he could in his attempt to send the Cavs home with a comeback win. The four-time MVP scored a season-high 37 points with 12 rebounds and five assists. James played with the passion and aggression of an 18-year-old.

Despite the loss, the Cavs (8-2) have done a great job playing shorthanded, winning eight straight games going into Saturday. Point guard Kyrie Irving and shooting guard Iman Shumpert are nearing returns, so Cleveland fans should be able to watch their team at full strength soon.

Speaking of which, injuries almost stole the show Saturday as Victor Oladipo, Bradley Beal, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul, J.J. Redick, Markieff Morris, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson and Chandler Parsons all sat out Saturday for various reasons.

Here's more from Saturday's action around the league:

The Warriors remain undefeated:

Despite a relatively poor shooting night, Stephen Curry led Golden State to a 107-99 overtime win against the Nets. The Warriors (11-0) fell behind by 15 points after the first quarter and trailed by seven entering the final period. That's when Curry started to heat up.

Curry scored eight of his game-high 34 points in the fourth quarter, but only shot 13 of 31 from the field. He did, however, pass his father, Dell Curry, for 42nd on the all-time 3-point list.

Jarrett Jack led the Nets with 28 points and nine assists. Thaddeus Young, who made his first eight shots from the field, scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Highlights:

The Clippers (6-4) rallied back from a nine-point halftime defecit to beat the Pistons (5-4) 101-96. Jamal Crawford scored a game-high 37 points in a rare start, replacing an injured Redick. Paul also sat out Saturday, but Blake Griffin scored 34 points and had nine assists to help pick up the slack. Andre Drummond scored 18 points and grabbed 19 rebounds for his ninth straight double-double to start the season. Unfortunately for Detroit fans, the Pistons have now lost three in a row.

Spurs point guard Tony Parker got his 6,000th career assist in a 92-83 win over the 76ers. Parker finished the game with 16 points and three assists. Also, with five blocks on the night, Tim Duncan passed former teammate David Robinson for fifth on NBA's all-time list.

Wizards power forward Kris Humphries scored 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting to lead Washington to a 108-99 win against the Magic. The win moved the Wizards (4-4) back to .500 on the season and dropped the Magic to 5-6. Starting in place of Beal, shooting guard Garrett Temple scored 18 points.

Stud of the night:

Suns shooting guard Eric Bledsoe continued his fine early-season by pouring in 30 points with seven rebounds and four assists in a 105-81 win against the Nuggets. Bledsoe finished three points shy of his season high, despite not playing in the fourth quarter because Phoenix (5-4) had the game locked up.

Dud of the night:

James Harden and the Rockets had another lackluster performance Saturday, losing 110-98 against the Mavericks. On the plus side, Harden did score a game-high 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. But it's hard to overlook the fact that he once again struggled from the floor, shooting 5 of 21 and 1 of 6 from beyond the arc. Harden has always been a volume shooter, but Houston has now fallen to 4-6 on the season and needs more from its MVP candidate.

What's Next:

Jazz (4-5) at Hawks (8-3) 6 p.m. — Utah, led by Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors, has impressed on the offensive end of the court. Atlanta will likely be without head coach Mike Budenholzer as he remains with his ailing wife.

Celtics (4-4) at Thunder (6-3) 7 p.m. — Boston travels to Oklahoma City to take on Russell Westbrook and the Thunder, who have won their last three games by a combined 62 points.

Alec Brzezinski