A second half surge gave the Milwaukee Bucks their first victory of the preseason as they defeated the shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers 110-101 at Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday night.
The Bucks were once down by as many as 15 points to the Cavaliers, but a massive lift from their bench unit helped the Bucks charge back and outscore the Cavs 65-50 in the final two periods.
The starting lineup of Michael Carter-Williams, Greivis Vasquez, Damien Inglis, Khris Middleton and Greg Monroe combined to go 15-of-39 shooting from the field, with Monroe the only starter to finish in double-figures with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Jason Kidd opted to rest Giannis Antetokounmpo along with Jabari Parker, while the Cavs were barely recognizable with LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, Iman Shumpert and Tristan Thompson all missing.
Milwaukee's second unit picked up the slack and scored 72 of their 110 points on the night, led once again by rookie Rashad Vaughn, who registered 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting with three triples. Despite five turnovers, John Henson scored 16 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and blocked four shots in 20 minutes, while Jerryd Bayless and O.J. Mayo were vital down the stretch as well. Bayless chipped in nine points during the third quarter and finished the game with 13 plus eight assists. He eventually cut the lead to one at the start of the fourth by hitting a layup in the lane, and Mayo followed with a triple on the next possession to give the Bucks their first lead, 80-78.
Mayo helped extend that cushion by hitting another triple and dropping in four more additional points. The veteran shooter finished with 12 points and also recorded a double-double, dishing out 10 assists.
Even second-year big man Johnny O'Bryant got in on the bench spark, finishing with 10 points in 20 minutes, six of them coming in the fourth. He also finished with eight rebounds Tuesday night.
The victory snaps a two-game losing streak for the Bucks this preseason, who will look to follow up tonight's win this Saturday against the Washington Wizards.