• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Bucks thwart Cavs' comeback

Nov 7, 2013 - 5:32 AM Milwaukee, WI (SportsNetwork.com) - O.J. Mayo had a team-high 28 points, going 6-of-7 from beyond the arc, Gary Neal added 23 off the bench and the Milwaukee Bucks staved off a late surge from the Cleveland Cavaliers for a 109-104 win on Wednesday night at BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Zaza Pachulia and John Henson each had 14 points and nine rebounds for Milwaukee, which won its first home game of the young season.

Milwaukee's Caron Butler had the game-winning tip-in with 24 seconds left to give the Bucks a 105-104 lead before Mayo went 4-of-4 from the free throw stripe in the closing seconds to secure the win.

"You don't expect Caron to sneak in there and soar over everybody and get a tip-in," Bucks head coach Larry Drew said. "That was probably the play of the game."

Kyrie Irving led the charge for Cleveland with 29 points and 8 assists, including 13 points in the final quarter to help give the Cavs the lead with less than a minute left in the game.

Milwaukee was shorthanded playing without center Larry Sanders, forward Ersan Ilyasova, and guards Brandon Knight and Luke Ridnour.

"You have to give the Bucks credit," Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown said. "They were shorthanded and did what they had to do to get a home win."

Rookie Nate Wolters, starting in place of Knight, scored nine points with eight rebounds and six assists.

Milwaukee led 103-91 after a Neal 3-pointer with 3:02 remaining in the game when the Cavaliers locked down and went on a 13-0 run in two minutes to take a 104-103 lead with a minute left.

Irving had 10 of the 13 points on the run, making a deep 3-pointer with 1:38 left to pull Cleveland within two.

Dion Waiters blocked the ensuing Mayo jump shot and CJ Miles hit a 3-pointer to give Cleveland the lead 104-103.

With 24 seconds left, Mayo missed a 6-footer but Butler muscled his way inside and tipped in the rebound to again give Milwaukee the advantage.

Coming out of a timeout, the Cavaliers isolated Irving at the top of the key with Anderson Varejao setting the pick on Mayo.

Irving drove around the pick, and the ball hit off of his knee just as he got inside the arc and landed out of bounds for a turnover.

Mayo hit both of his free throws with 13 seconds left to give the Bucks a 107-104 lead.

Irving received the inbounds pass but Mayo was in his jersey defending when the former Duke product had to force up a contested 3-pointer. His attempt fell short and Mayo gobbled up the loose ball, was fouled, and hit another two free throws to secure the Bucks' first home win.

Cavaliers No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett missed his first shot in the first quarter which made it 16 straight shots missed to open his NBA career.

However, at 9:46 in the second quarter, the UNLV product finally got the monkey off his back with a 3-pointer for his first basket as a pro. He finished 1-of-5 from the field with three points, three rebounds, and two steals.

Waiters added 21 points and Miles scored 14 points off the bench in the loss.

Game Notes

The Central Division opponents split four meetings last year ... Milwaukee snapped its two-game losing streak to the Cavs ... Milwaukee hosts Dallas Nov. 9 ... Cleveland will travel to Philadelphia on Friday.