Ilgauskas leads way in Cavs’ 2OT win

LeBron James had 31 points in 51 minutes in the 104-99 victory.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored Cleveland’s first six points in the second overtime to lead the Cavaliers to a 104-99 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night.

LeBron James, who became the youngest player to score 9,000 career points earlier in the game, led Cleveland with 31 points.

James played 51 of 58 minutes in the marathon game.

Michael Redd, who led Milwaukee with 22 points, played 54 minutes while Mo Williams played 51.

The score was tied at 93 after the first overtime. A basket by Ilgauskas gave the Cavaliers the lead, Mo Williams’ 3-pointer put Milwaukee ahead before another basket by Ilgauskas gave Cleveland a 97-96 lead.

Ilgauskas, who scored 24 points, added a jumper from the top of the key at the 1:24 mark for a 99-96 lead. Williams made two free throws before James scored on a drive to put Cleveland ahead again by three.

Redd was fouled with 19.1 seconds left. He made the first shot, but missed the second, but Andrew Bogut missed a point-blank return shot.

Ilgauskas grabbed that rebound and the Cavaliers called time. After James made two free throws for a four-point lead, Williams shot an airball on a 3-point attempt and Daniel Gibson split a pair of free throws to put it away.

Cleveland took a 91-87 lead in the first overtime, but baskets by Williams, Redd and Desmond Mason put the Bucks ahead by two with 40.4 seconds left before Devin Brown rebounded a missed shot in the lane and muscled in the rebound to tie the game with 16 seconds to play.

Williams’ two free throws with 5.9 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 85 and forced overtime. James missed on a drive to the basket as regulation expired.

Williams finished with 18 points. James was accidentally hit in the face late in regulation, but stayed in the game.

When he made a first-quarter free throw, James became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 9,000 career points. He reached the plateau at 22 years, 352 days old. James, who entered the game with 8,997 career points, took the record from Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who was 24 years, 127 days old when he reached 9,000.

The Cavaliers, the defending Eastern Conference champions, had lost eight of nine going into the game. The Bucks have lost eight of 10.

Gibson returned to the lineup after missing Saturday’s game. Gibson was already having problems after a widsom tooth was removed last week and he was hit in the jaw in Friday’s game.

Brown finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Gibson scored 12 for Cleveland. Desmond Mason scored 15 and Charlie Villanueva added 13 for Milwaukee.

Notes

Backup center Jake Voskuhl scored a season-high 10 points for the Bucks. Redd added nine assists and seven rebounds.... Following Saturday night’s loss to Philadelphia, James said, “Right now, we’re not a very good team.” Asked about that comment before Monday’s game, Mike Brown didn’t disagree with his superstar. “We’re 1-8 [in the previous nine games],” he said. “That does not equate to being a good team. We have not played good basketball. There are times we’re not playing the right way.” ... Bucks C Michael Ruffin (broken wrist) could return this week. He was injured Nov. 11.