The Milwaukee Bucks’ losing skid continued for a fifth straight game heartbreakingly as they fell to the now 7-0 Cleveland Cavaliers, 114-113. Despite the loss, it was a Damian Lillard masterclass as he dropped 41 points, but Donovan Mitchell matched that with 30 to lead the Cavaliers.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists for the Bucks.

“Dame Time” was activated from the word go, as Lillard and Tauren Prince got the party started for the Bucks, going on a 9-0 in the first 1:32 of the game.

Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson did call a timeout to halt the run, but the Bucks just kept on coming. After an Evan Mobley layup made it a four-point game, the Bucks went on a 24-11 extended run to take a 33-17 lead with 4:43 to play in the first.

Cleveland used an old friend of the Bucks in Sam Merrill to try and keep it close, with him and Isaac Okoro going for nine straight points to cut the lead down to eight points. Damian Lillard kept up his hot shooting, finishing with eighteen points in the stanza, helping the Bucks build a 38-30 lead after the first twelve minutes of action.

The Bucks had a strong showing to start the second quarter, building back up to an eleven-point lead with just over three minutes expired in the period.

After Giannis threw down a one-handed jam with 8:58 to go, the Cavs started to assert themselves, as each of their next five scoring possessions ended with a shot around the basket before Okoro and Mitchell launched three-pointers to tie the game at 53-53 with 3:34 to go.

Cleveland got their first lead of the game and built it up to six before the dynamic duo of Giannis and Dame started to cook. Giannis and Dame scored layups on back-to-back possessions before Giannis threw a no-look, behind-the-back pass to Dame for a corner three to take a 62-61 lead heading into the locker rooms.

The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair throughout the entire frame. The largest lead either side had was four points. Both offenses seemed out of sorts after a Bobby Portis hook shot tied things up at 81-81 as neither side scored for 1:36. Lillard got the offenses going with a three to give Milwaukee a slight edge.

Cleveland, mostly thanks to Donovan Mitchell, scored six straight points to end the quarter to give the Cavaliers an 87-83 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Bobby Portis struggled mightily, scoring just one basket, committing two fouls, and looking behind on the defensive end against the Cavs bigs of Mobley and Allen.

Cleveland got the fourth quarter off on the right foot, outscoring the Bucks 9-6 in the first 2:35 in the frame to give themselves a six-point cushion, forcing Doc Rivers to call a timeout.

Over the next several minutes, the Bucks would slowly chip away at the Cavaliers’ lead. Gary Trent Jr., who had been scoreless all game, finally nailed an important three off a feed from Giannis to bring the Bucks back within one. Enter the Dame show as he continued to terrorize the Cavs from deep, nailing two threes to bring the Bucks their first lead, 109-107, since the third quarter.

A couple of Jarrett Allen layups gave Cleveland the lead back with 2:33 left to go. Shots just would not drop for either side down the stretch, until Giannis got a hook shot to go with 1:08 to play after a free throw from Allen made it 112-111 Cleveland. After a few misses from both sides, the Bucks had a chance with 14.9 on the clock to take the lead back and Dame delivered again, hitting a step-back midrange jumper over Darius Garland to give the Bucks a 113-112 lead.

Yet it was not to be, as Donovan Mitchell nailed a ridiculous midrange shot after nearly fumbling the ball out of bounds. The make gave Cleveland a 114-113 lead with 0.3 seconds left as Dame’s catch and shoot three hit the back rim and just missed.

The Bucks struggled to get any offense going off the bench, scoring just thirteen points, ten of which came from Bobby Portis. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers had 36 points came from their bench, seventeen of which came from former Buck Sam Merrill.