Short-handed Bucks top Cavs

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

The short-handed Milwaukee Bucks needed someone to step up Friday night.

Monta Ellis gave them his best game of the season.

Ellis scored a season-high 33 points and the Bucks recorded their season-high fourth straight win with a 90-86 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Monta obviously had a hot hand and kept us in it offensively,” Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles said. “He obviously had it going.”

Ellis, who scored 20 points in the second half, was 12 for 24 from the field and was at his best late. He scored 10 points in the final 6 minutes of the third quarter after the Cavaliers took a brief lead and then held off Cleveland’s last charge in the fourth quarter.

C.J. Miles’ 3-pointer cut the lead to 80-78 with 5:26 to play, but Ellis scored on a layup, hit two free throws and made a jumper to stretch the lead to 86-80 with 2:41 remaining.

“I just took what the defense gave me, it was pretty simple,” he said. “I tried to come off screens and make a play for myself or for someone else.”

The Bucks, who recorded their ninth straight victory over the Cavs, left three players in Milwaukee because of injuries. Three others were either coming off an injury or an illness that’s been going around the team.

Kyrie Irving scored 26 points to lead Cleveland, which committed a season-high 27 turnovers. The Cavaliers have lost seven of eight and 11 of 13.

Cavaliers coach Byron Scott admitted this was probably the most frustrated he’s been over a loss all season and couldn’t explain his team’s lack of energy.

“I have no idea,” Scott said. “If I knew that I’d bottle it up and make a lot of money because I have no idea. We had a good day this morning going through stuff, a day off yesterday, so there’s no reason in the world to come out with a lack of energy.”

Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao, the league’s leading rebounder, left the game in the first half after sustaining a contusion to his lower left leg. X-rays taken at halftime were negative and Varejao came back in the game early in the third quarter. He had eight points and 18 rebounds.

Irving played 36 minutes despite taking a nasty fall in the first quarter when he was knocked to the court on a hard foul.