Two Big Takeaways From Cleveland Cavaliers Victory Over Milwaukee Bucks

Call it what you want, but a win is a win.

The Cleveland Cavaliers ended a back-and-forth bout with a 123-116 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. James Harden scored 27 points in the Tuesday-night battle while adding five rebounds and two steals. Kevin Porter Jr. led a night that saw five Bucks, including three off the bench, end the game in double figures.

Two-Sided Night From Long Range

While the Cavs outpaced the Bucks with a 56-34 point difference in the paint, a tale of two nights from long range nearly saw Milwaukee shoot its way into contention the same way the Dallas Mavericks had in a Sunday matchup.

The Bucks, who sport the second-highest 3-point percentage in the NBA of just below 39%, would stay ahead of Cleveland from long range despite two lopsided quarters that favored either side. The Cavs showed two faces of their own before evening out at a 33.3% clip from long range.

Cleveland didn't hit a single shot from the 3-point line in the second quarter, while the Bucks went eight for 12 behind the duo of Bobby Portis and Ousmane Dieng.

Dieng would end the matchup with five makes on eight tries as he continued an up-and-down year from the 3-point line. Cleveland would keep things steady in the fourth quarter as five Cavaliers walked away with a 3-point make. Milwaukee fell as quickly as it rose as it lagged behind with three makes on 14 tries, which only added to letting a small lead slip against its Midwestern counterparts.

Mar 17, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) shoots against Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma (18) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Evan Mobley Acts as Two-Way Anchor

Evan Mobley dominated the paint just as he had in a Friday win over Dallas, where he seemed to forget how to miss from close range as he hit on 10 of his 12 total tries in the first half. The 24-year-old looked just as dominant with the help of Harden, who would end the night with six assists as he found Mobley for easy feeds inside. He added three blocks, including two swats against Porter Jr., while adding a game-high 15 rebounds.

Mobley locked in his 22nd double-double of the season and his third in five games. He'll need to continue to be a key component for the Cavs to secure their place in the NBA playoffs.

The Cavs enter Wednesday's round of bouts as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, but will need to continue proving their worth with a near-even split of home and away matchups in the final stretch of their regular-season run.

The Cavs will move on to face the Chicago Bulls at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday in the United Center. The game will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network Ohio.