Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways From Loss To Cleveland Cavaliers

Dec 20, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) grabs a rebound with help from forward Richard Jefferson (24) against Milwaukee Bucks guard Tony Snell (21) in overtime at BMO Harris Bradley Center. James scored 34 points to help the Cavaliers beat the Bucks 114-108. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) grabs a rebound with help from forward Richard Jefferson (24) against Milwaukee Bucks guard Tony Snell (21) in overtime at BMO Harris Bradley Center. James scored 34 points to help the Cavaliers beat the Bucks 114-108. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
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The Milwaukee Bucks came up short against the Cleveland Cavaliers at home, but there are still some positive takeaways from the action.

Dec 20, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) grabs a rebound with help from forward Richard Jefferson (24) against Milwaukee Bucks guard Tony Snell (21) in overtime at BMO Harris Bradley Center. James scored 34 points to help the Cavaliers beat the Bucks 114-108. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) grabs a rebound with help from forward Richard Jefferson (24) against Milwaukee Bucks guard Tony Snell (21) in overtime at BMO Harris Bradley Center. James scored 34 points to help the Cavaliers beat the Bucks 114-108. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Bucks couldn’t pull out a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Milwaukee on Tuesday night, but damn if it wasn’t close. The Bucks forced overtime against LeBron James and the reigning champs, but unfortunately couldn’t come out on top.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker led the way, and it was hard not to think about how this game would have been different if Khris Middleton were healthy this season. Still, the Bucks have got to play with what they’ve got, and that was nearly enough on Tuesday.

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It would’ve been pretty remarkable if the Bucks had been able to take two straight games against the reigning champion Cavaliers. The Cavs were without Kevin Love, which is more important than trolls on the internet would think.

Love is a big part of what Cleveland does, especially in terms of rebounding, and he’s questionable for the next-night rematch. Even with no Love, the Cavs were able to beat the Bucks.

To find out why the game turned out like it did, let’s focus on some key takeaways from Milwaukee’s close loss to the Cavaliers on Tuesday.