Cavaliers Vs Bucks — cavaliers vs bucks: Bucks 118-116 (Feb 25, 2026) Game Recap
In a late-February meeting in Milwaukee, the cavaliers vs bucks game ended 118-116 as the Milwaukee Bucks held off a short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, Feb. 25, 2026. The Bucks secured their fifth victory in six games behind contributions from Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins while Jarrett Allen had a basket at the buzzer ruled after time expired.
Cavaliers Vs Bucks game summary
Milwaukee defeated Cleveland 118-116 in Milwaukee on Feb. 25, 2026. Kevin Porter Jr. finished with 20 points and Ryan Rollins added 18 as the Bucks held off the short-handed Cavaliers. The Cavaliers appeared to tie it on Jarrett Allen’s basket underneath at the buzzer, but the basket was ruled that time had expired. Allen finished with 27 points and 11 rebounds.
Sequence of final plays
Jaylon Tyson pulled the Cavaliers to 116-114 with two free throws late in the fourth quarter. After Milwaukee’s Kyle Kuzma missed a 3-pointer, Dennis Schroder scored from the right side of the lane to tie the game 116 with 35. 6 seconds left. Kevin Porter Jr. then hit a free-throw line jumper to put the Bucks up 118-116 with 20. 2 seconds remaining. Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen scored underneath at the buzzer, but officials ruled that time had expired, wiping out the would-be tie.
Player performances and stats
Kevin Porter Jr. led the Bucks with 20 points while Ryan Rollins contributed 18. Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers with 27 points and also grabbed 11 rebounds. Dennis Schroder, who was acquired from Sacramento on Feb. 1, had 26 points — his most in nine games with the Cavaliers. Schroder’s basket to tie the game and his overall 26-point night were key late contributions for Cleveland.
Injuries and absences
Cleveland was short-handed: James Harden did not play after he broke his right thumb Tuesday night in a home victory over New York. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley also sat out, with Mitchell nursing a strained right groin. For Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo missed his 13th consecutive game because of a strained right calf.
Standings and immediate aftermath
The loss was Cleveland’s second in 10 games, dropping the Cavaliers into fourth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind New York. For Milwaukee, the win represented the Bucks’ fifth victory in six games. The game’s final sequence — Kuzma’s missed 3-pointer, Schroder’s tying basket with 35. 6 seconds left, Porter’s go-ahead free-throw line jumper at 20. 2 seconds, and Allen’s buzzer attempt ruled late — defined the result and left Cleveland without a tying basket on the scoreboard.
Wednesday night’s matchup in Milwaukee finished 118-116 in favor of the Bucks, with the short-handed Cavaliers falling despite Allen’s 27 points and 11 rebounds and Schroder’s 26-point effort.
