The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Milwaukee Bucks. Evan Mobley and James Harden tied to lead all scorers with 27 points. Mobley also contributed 15 rebounds and 3 blocks.

Milwaukee was without Giannis Antetokounmpo in this game. The Cavaliers saw the return of Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson, though Jarrett Allen and Craig Porter Jr. are still on the sidelines. Max Strus, who made his season debut on Sunday, played another 23 minutes tonight.

Cleveland opened the game strong, with big performances from James Harden and Evan Mobley in the opening quarter. Harden scored 14 points in the opening frame while Mobley immediately established himself as a mismatch punisher. This dual threat was firing on all cylinders and made you think this would be a quick game.

Sadly, the Cavs’ defense once again let them down.

Poor closeouts led to a three-point barrage from Milwaukee. The Bucks cut into Cleveland’s lead before they had any chance to truly build a cushion. In no time, the Cavs found themselves trailing going into halftime after allowing the Bucks to hit eight threes in the second quarter.

Defense has been a concern all season. The Cavaliers are struggling to dictate the terms of engagement, succumbing to the will of their opponent on most nights. Opposing teams have been launching three-pointers at far too high a rate. This is something that will need to be resolved before the playoffs begin.

The Cavs did just enough to squeak this one out in the fourth quarter. They can thank Sam Merrill, Keon Ellis and Strus for each hitting big shots down the stretch to keep them in front.

Tonight’s win gives the Cavs a 42-27 record. They have 13 games left before the postseason begins. The most important thing right now is getting healthy. But it would make us all feel better if they took some meaningful steps forward defensively along the way.