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On Tuesday night in Milwaukee, the Cavaliers got out to an early lead against the Bucks and never looked back en route to a 109-80 win.
Six Cavaliers scored in double-figures Tuesday. J.R. Smith led the Cavs with 21 points - all on three-pointers - and both Kevin Love and LeBron James added 17. Kyrie Irving also added 15. Giannis Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 22 points and Jabari Parker added 19 points for Milwaukee.
In the first quarter, behind 15 points from Love and 12 points from Smith, the Cavs got out to 33-19 lead. Their lead grew in the second, as Cleveland continued to stay hot from the field even after Love, James and Irving all sat out out for a large portion of the second quarter. In the first half, the Cavs shot 65.8 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three. After 24 minutes, the Cavs led the Bucks 67-43.
With the lead up to 26 after three quarters, James, Irving and Love all sat the fourth quarter. During the game, Smith broke Wesley Person's franchise record for most threes made in a single season and Irving passed World B. Free to move into tenth place on the Cavs' all-time scoring list. The Cavs also made 17 three-pointers as a team, one shy of their season high of 18 and two short of the franchise record of 19.
The win also cuts the Cavs' magic number to clinch the No. 1 in the Eastern Conference down to two. With Raptors winning tonight against the Hornets, the earliest the Cavs can clinch the East's top seed is Thursday. To clinch, the Cavs would have to win tomorrow and the Raptors would have to lose Thursday against the Hawks.
Cleveland returns to action tomorrow against the Indiana Pacers as part of a three-game road trip through the Midwest. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. in Indianapolis.