The Cleveland Cavaliers take down the Milwaukee Bucks thanks to a strong second half from Donovan Mitchell and Sam Merrill.
Second-half struggles have become a common theme for the Cleveland Cavaliers through the first six weeks of the NBA season. The Wine and Gold know they need to be better in the final stretches of games, but executing that mindset has been easier said than done.
That’s why Cleveland’s 118-106 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks was such an encouraging sign for the Cavaliers.
The Wine and Gold entered halftime with just a two-point lead (59-57) heading into the locker room, and that was after the Bucks started the game on an 11-2 run. Cleveland did a great job getting back into the game, but the real test was going to be maintaining the lead.
Thankfully, the Cavaliers did just that in the third and fourth quarters.
As a team, Cleveland outscored Milwaukee 59-49 in the second half while shooting 57 percent (23-for-40) from the field and 45 percent (9-for-20) from behind the arc. Both of those numbers improved from the Cavaliers' performance in the first half.
Improving as the game goes on is exactly what Kenny Atkinson has wanted to see from this group.
Nov 17, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) dribbles beside Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins (13) in the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn ImagesTwo players in particular put the team on their backs in the final 24 minutes as the Cavaliers started to pull away from Milwaukee: Donovan Mitchell and Sam Merrill.
Mitchell did most of his damage in the first half, scoring a total of 37 points in Cleveland’s win. But 12 of his points came in the clutch in the final two quarters. He played a key role in keeping the momentum in the Cavaliers' favor.
Merrill continues to step up in a big way for the Cavaliers, as they have a few key pieces who are fighting through injuries.
Cleveland’s sharpshooter led the Cavaliers in scoring in the second half with 17 points, while knocking down five of his six three-point attempts in the final 24 minutes.
There are still more areas that the Cavaliers must continue to improve on; the Bucks still shot a respectable 47 percent from three-point range throughout the game.
That said, seeing the Cavaliers maintain and build on a lead in the fourth quarter shows that they’re getting over the mental hurdles that have plagued this team through the first 15 games.