The Cleveland Cavaliers have had no trouble hanging around with elite competition this season.
The Cavs have been tasked with facing a handful of quality opponents in the early stages of the 2021-22 campaign, but Cleveland constantly finds a way to either make things interesting against elite teams or come away victorious.
On Monday, the Cavs found themselves facing one of the most intimidating teams in the Eastern Conference in the Milwaukee Bucks. Cleveland certainly made things interesting, but this time around, the Bucks came out on top.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a big night, which Jarrett Allen got to experience firsthand. After the game, the Cavs big man explained some of the biggest challenges that come with defending Antetokounmpo.
”With Giannis, first, he’s an MVP of this league,” Allen said. “He can get to the rim. He’s been working on his 3-point shot. He’s really comes with a full package in his game. So, it’s a tough matchup all night just overall.”
Antetokounmpo finished Monday’s game with 27 points, 12 rebounds and two assists. He went 9-for-19 from the field and 3-for-3 from deep. Antetokounmpo’s 3-point shot tends to be inconsistent, but he knocks it down often enough that defenders can’t ignore that part of his game.
The five-time All-Star has the Bucks playing at a very high level. They’re 16-9 on the season and seem like contenders in the Eastern Conference once again.
As for the Cavs, they’ve lost two straight contests and are 13-12 on the year. Cleveland has had no trouble digging itself out of rough patches so far this season, and the hope is that the squad can do so again now.
