Two perennial All-Stars and the reigning Defensive Player of the Year will share the court as the Cleveland Cavaliers begin the home portion of their schedule against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.
Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Cavaliers shooting guard Donovan Mitchell have combined for 15 All-Star Game selections, while Cleveland forward Evan Mobley won his first DPOY award last season.
Antetokounmpo has hit the ground running, becoming the first player in league history to average more than 30 points, 15 rebounds and five assists over the first two games of the year.
“(Giannis) is the best player in the world, in my opinion,” Milwaukee point guard Cole Anthony said. “He’s a beast, and he affects the game in so many ways.”
Anthony added: “It’s really different to see him every day in practice and in games than seeing him a couple of times a year.”
Anthony joined the Bucks after accepting a buyout from the Memphis Grizzlies, giving them a boost in the backcourt. He had been traded by the Orlando Magic in June as part of a deal that moved Desmond Bane to Orlando.
The son of former NBA guard Greg Anthony is averaging 16 points and six assists in 19.5 minutes per game off the bench in his first two games with Milwaukee. The Bucks have beaten the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors.
“Two games feels magnificent, I’m not going to lie to you,” Anthony said of his fresh start, adding, “I feel like I can do it all on the court.”
The vibes are less positive with Mitchell, Mobley and the Cavaliers after they split their first two on the road.
A decisive loss to the New York Knicks was followed by a near-disaster against Brooklyn, which rallied from 25 points down to pull within 121-120 late in the fourth.
Cleveland ended the game on a 10-4 run to win 131-124, but its franchise player was incensed by the team’s inability to maintain control. It was a familiar script from the Cavaliers’ five-game upset loss to the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 playoffs.
Cleveland had the best record in the Eastern Conference last season but failed to get out of the second round.
“We did this last year. That s— can’t happen,” said Mitchell, who scored 35 points. “We got tired for a little bit, and they went on a run. That’s what happened against Indiana, and we lost.
“We won tonight, and it was great, but our goal is not to scrape by and win by seven. If we want to be different, we’ve got to move different.”
Three of Cleveland’s top six rotation players remain out with injuries in All-Star point guard Darius Garland (toe surgery), small forward De’Andre Hunter (bruised knee) and swingman Max Strus (foot surgery).
Milwaukee will be without shooting guard Kevin Porter Jr. (sprained left ankle), who didn’t travel on the road trip to Toronto and Cleveland.
Mobley is averaging 17.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks while the Cavaliers mix and match combinations around him, Mitchell and center Jarrett Allen.
“We’re not hitting on all cylinders,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. “But we need to look at some of our other guys for our growth, for their growth and for the long haul to see who can help us.”
–Field Level Media
