Waiters helps Cavs stop slide

Associated Press

MILWAUKEE

Dion Waiters scored 18 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers snapped a six-game losing streak with a 94-82 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.

C.J. Miles added 16 points and Kyrie Irving had 15 for the Cavaliers, playing without starting center Anderson Varejao for the third straight game because of a bruised right knee.

Monta Ellis had a season-high 37 points for Milwaukee. The Bucks won the previous nine games against the Cavaliers.

Both teams played Friday night, with Cleveland falling to Indiana 99-89 at home, and Milwaukee beating Boston in overtime on the road.

After Milwaukee cut it to 82-72 with 6:32 left in the fourth, Tyler Zeller made two free throws and Miles added a jumper to give the Cavaliers an 86-72 lead.

Tristan Thompson scored 14 points for the Cavaliers, Tyler Zeller added 11 and Alonzo Gee scored 10.

Thompson led the team with 14 rebounds. Iriving had four assists and five rebounds.

Off the bench for Cleveland, C.J. Miles had 16 points, Luke Walton had seven and Jeremy Pargo scored three.

No other Milwaukee player scored in double figures. Marquis Daniels had nine points and Brandon Jennings scored seven.

Larry Sanders grabbed 12 rebounds and Mike Dunleavu came off the bench to score eight points.

Despite averaging 10 minutes in the pas two games, Cavs rookfie forward Kevin Jones did not play on Saturday due to a coach’s decision.

Jones had a breakthrough stint in the Development League with the Canton Charge. He was third in the D-League in scoring in five games with 23.6 points per game. The West Virginia product was third in rebounding with 12.6 per game.

In five games with the Cavs, Jones has scored six points.

NOTES

Zeller made his third consecutive start filling in for Varejao. Zeller missed his first 10 shots before scoring on a putback in the third. ... Referee Haywoode Workman played eight seasons for four teams in the NBA, including 1999-2000 for the Bucks. ... Varejao stayed in Cleveland to receive treatment.

The Cavaliers have a Christmas break before their next game. They head to Washington for a tilt with the Wizards.

Washington is now a league worst 3-22 after Saturday’s 96-87 loss to the Pistons.