Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, right, hugs teammate Darius Garland, left, late in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

CLEVELAND – Darius Garland scored 39 points, Evan Mobley added 17 and the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 8-0 with a 116-114 victory Monday night over the Milwaukee Bucks, who played without injured superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Cavs also went 8-0 in 1976.

Garland hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 45 seconds left and the Cavs rallied down the stretch, outscoring the Bucks 18-8 in the final 6:06.

Jarrett Allen added 14 points, 15 rebounds and had a big block on Milwaukee’s Damian Lillard in the final seconds.

Lillard scored 36 for the Bucks, but committed a costly turnover when he was called for a back-and-forth violation with 56 seconds left.

Bobby Portis added 21 points and 18 rebounds for Milwaukee, which has lost six straight.

It was Cleveland’s second win in three days over Milwaukee. On Saturday, Donovan Mitchell hit a jumper in the final seconds to give the Cavs a 114-113 victory.

Antetokounmpo was out with a strained adductor muscle, an injury the two-time MVP suffered during the loss to Cleveland.

Takeaway meals

Dollars: They showed courage by giving everything they had despite not having Antetokounmpo, who averages 31 points. Milwaukee’s schedule hasn’t helped, with five of seven games away from home.

Gentlemen: Another good lesson in not taking any team for granted. The Cavs also survived without Mitchell carrying them. He only scored one point after the first quarter, finishing with 14.

Key moment

Mobley showed off his all-around game for a seven-second stretch in the second quarter. Shielding under the rim, the 7-footer rose to block a layup, grabbed the rebound, dribbled the length of the court and dunked to start a 10-2 run.

Key Statistics

The Cavs were just the second team in history to start 7-0 with each player averaging less than 30 minutes. Seattle did it in 1978.

Next

The Bucks host the Utah Jazz on Thursday. The Cavaliers visit New Orleans on Wednesday.