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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Milwaukee Bucks took advantage of the
undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.
Sam Cassell and Ray Allen each scored 23 points, and Glenn
Robinson added 22 as Milwaukee beat Cleveland 107-89 for its fourth
straight victory.
"In order for us to grow and become one of the best teams in
the league, we've got to work together and put a team away," Allen
said. "As the game progressed, we did that."
Milwaukee (16-12) won for the 13th time in 16 games and moved a
half-game ahead of Cleveland for second place in the Central
Division.
Cleveland was without five key players because of injury,
including starters Matt Harpring and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and lost
its fifth straight.
"We had to have the attitude of a wounded animal and we
didn't," Cavs coach Randy Wittman said. "Milwaukee is not going
to say, 'Oh, gee, let's take it easy on them.'
"The injuries were not a factor in our not guarding people on
the dribble or making turnovers."
Cassell hit his first six shots from the field and went 9-for-9
from the foul line for 21 points as the Bucks took a 75-60 lead
with 1:56 left in the third quarter.
Cassell also had four of Milwaukee's 13 steals as the Bucks
applied constant defensive pressure and led the entire game.
"If we get steals like that, that's saying a lot about our
energy level," Allen said. "We were active, playing the passing
lanes. That is going to dictate how the game comes out. We wanted
to set them back on their heels and we did."
Lamond Murray scored 22 points to lead Cleveland (15-12).
Clarence Weatherspoon had 15 points and 15 rebounds.
Cassell hit all four of his shots from the field and went
4-for-4 from the line for 12 points in the first half to help
Milwaukee to a 49-33 lead.
"My output wasn't much, but I made the ones I took," Cassell
said. "We've been doing whatever we have to do to win during this
streak."
Cleveland's Trajan Langdon, seeing increased playing time,
missed eight of his first nine shots. The second-year guard then
hit a 3-pointer and another long jumper for the final five points
of the first half to pull the Cavaliers to 49-40.
Game
notes
Harpring, who had a career-best 25 points Tuesday night,
did not play because of a strained left Achilles' tendon. ... Cavs
forward-center Chris Gatling missed the game with a sprained right
ankle. ... Ilgauskas (broken left foot) and guards Bimbo Coles
(left knee surgery) and Wesley Person (right elbow) are on the
Cavs' injured list. ... Milwaukee leads the teams' all-time series
88-53 and has won the last five meetings. ... Scott Williams had 12
points and eight rebounds in 22 minutes for the Bucks.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Milwaukee Clubhouse
Cleveland Clubhouse
RECAPS
Milwaukee 107
Cleveland 89
Boston 112
New Jersey 111
Orlando 102
Detroit 96
Dallas 105
LA Clippers 96
Minnesota 88
Atlanta 81
Portland 103
Utah 102
Chicago 105
San Antonio 104
Toronto 94
Denver 93
LA Lakers 115
Phoenix 78
Sacramento 91
Charlotte 87
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
George Karl Official Site
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