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Balanced Cavs best Bucks to stop skid

Dec 23, 2012 - 7:51 AM Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Dion Waiters scored 18 points to lead a balanced Cleveland scoring attack as the Cavaliers downed the Milwaukee Bucks, 94-82, at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

C.J. Miles chipped in with 16 points and Kyrie Irving scored 15 for the Cavs, who snapped a six-game losing skid.

"We came in with the mindset that we are going to compete for 48 minutes," Irving said. "Once we go out there and perform the way we do, it all speaks for itself."

Tristan Thompson had 14 points and 14 rebounds, Tyler Zeller dropped in 11 points to go with 10 boards and Alonzo Gee chipped in 10 points in the win.

Monta Ellis scored a game-high 37 points for the Bucks, who have dropped three of their last five.

"They built the early lead. They sustained it the whole game," Ellis said.

Cleveland led 19-11 with just under 2 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter, but the Bucks closed the period on an 8-0 run and entered the second frame knotted up at 19-19.

Cleveland used a 13-4 run to go up 32-23 with five minutes gone in the second. A Brandon Jennings 3-pointer with 58.8 left in the half cut the Bucks' deficit to 44-37, but Waiters buried a jumper with 16.9 ticks showing to give the Cavs a 46-37 lead at the break.

A 21-10 surge in the third frame put Cleveland up 67-47, but Milwaukee held the Cavs to just four points over the final four minutes of the period to go into the fourth down just 71-63.

The Bucks couldn't get closer than 10 in the final frame and the Cavs cruised to an easy win.

Game Notes

Cleveland forced 14 turnovers which led to 22 points ... Milwaukee, which went 4-for-20 from long range, had made five or more 3-pointers in 10 straight games entering the contest.