Feb 25, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) shoots against Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner (3) during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn ImagesJackson FlickingerThu, February 26, 2026 at 3:34 AM UTC·3 min readThe shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers fought hard, but they ran out of steam in the fourth quarter.
Cleveland had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds. Jarrett Allen grabbed a Dennis Schroder miss, but his putback hookshot came just after time expired, leading to the 118-116 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis game was defined by who wasn’t playing, as opposed to who was. The Cavs were without Donovan Mitchell (groin), James Harden (thumb), and Evan Mobley (calf). Meanwhile, Milwaukee didn’t have Giannis Antetokounmpo (neck) and Taurean Prince (neck). Having this much firepower in street clothes isn’t ideal, but that’s become an increasingly common reality in the NBA this season.
Unsurprisingly, this led to what was a somewhat disjointed game that had wild swings back and forth, but not necessarily because of great play, but due to having players out of their ideal roles.
Allen wasn’t one of those players. He once again showed why getting him involved should be the priority of any team he’s on, no matter who’s in or out of the lineup.
The Cavs needed a big game from Allen, and he delivered. He outplayed his counterpart, Myles Turner, as he was able to consistently push Turner off his spots. Allen controlled the glass on both ends and was the focal point of the offense, putting up 27 points on 10-15 shooting to go along with 11 boards.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDespite the strong play from Allen, it wasn’t enough to get Cleveland the victory.
The Cavs took the lead early on, and it seemed like they were going to run away with it. But Milwaukee roared back due to their hot three-point shooting. They pushed their advantage to 12 midway through the third quarter, before the Cavs closed the frame on a run to capture a one-point lead heading into the fourth.
The final quarter was a slog. Neither team could create separation.
Milwaukee took a two-point lead late thanks to a midrange jumper from Kevin Porter Jr. with 20 seconds left. The Cavs weren’t able to respond. Dennis Schroder’s game-tying runner bounced out, and Allen couldn’t put it back in before the game clock expired.
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Opponent three-point shooting once again had an outsized impact on the outcome of the game.
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s hot shooting helped lead them to victory on Sunday, the New York Knicks poor shooting did them yesterday, and the Bucks’ 42.2% shooting from three helped secure them the victory. The Cavs have prioritized taking away lanes to the basket, but they may need to find a better balance as the Bucks were able to generate too many easy outside looks despite not having much on-ball juice.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Bucks were led by 20 points from Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins contributed 18, and Kyle Kuzma chipped in 17 on 5-10 shooting from deep.
Schroder did a superb job stepping into the starting point guard role. He provided 26 points on 8-14 shooting and made several crucial baskets late despite seemingly turning his ankle in the final minutes. Schroder also had five assists and a steal.
Keon Ellis, Sam Merrill, and Jaylon Tyson each finished with 14 points.
The Cavs have now lost two of their last three, even though it’s difficult to be too upset about this one. Three of their key players didn’t participate, and this was the tail end of a back-to-back and their fifth game in seven nights.
Cleveland will head on the road to take on the conference-leading Detroit Pistons on Friday. Tip-off is at 7 PM.
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