Darius Garland dropped 39 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers held off a late rally by the Milwaukee Bucks, edging them 116-114 on Monday to push their perfect NBA record to 8-0.
Garland nailed a crucial step-back three-pointer to give Cleveland a 113-111 lead with 45 seconds left, then set up Jarrett Allen for a game-sealing layup.
The Cavaliers, who led by as many as 19 points in the second quarter, matched their franchise’s best season start, last achieved in 1976.
“It’s hard to get one (win) so eight is crazy,” Garland said.
The Bucks, missing two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo due to an adductor strain, dropped their sixth straight game following a one-point home loss to the Cavs on Saturday.
Milwaukee point guard Damian Lillard scored 14 of his 36 points in the third quarter as the Bucks battled back to lead 91-89 heading into the fourth.
They extended their lead to eight points midway through the final quarter but couldn’t withstand the Cavaliers’ comeback.
Evan Mobley contributed 17 points, and Allen finished with 14 points, 15 rebounds, and a crucial block on Lillard with 8.8 seconds remaining to secure the victory.
“We had to fight for 48 minutes,” Garland said. “We knew they would come out in the second half and try to be more aggressive.”
In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder remained the only unbeaten team, defeating the Orlando Magic 102-86 to improve to 7-0.
Jalen Williams scored 23 points, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 21 as the Thunder held their opponent to fewer than 95 points for the fifth time this season.
In other action, the Detroit Pistons upset the Los Angeles Lakers 115-103, while reigning champions the Boston Celtics cruised past the Atlanta Hawks 123-93.
The Golden State Warriors welcomed Stephen Curry back from a three-game absence, winning 125-112 against the Washington Wizards.
In Detroit, Cade Cunningham recorded 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists for his third career triple-double, while Jaden Ivey scored 26 points to power the Pistons to their third win of the season.
Anthony Davis scored 37 points for the Lakers despite a left ankle injury in the fourth quarter. He stayed in the game, throwing down an alley-oop dunk that cut the Pistons’ lead to five points with 4:10 remaining, but Detroit pulled away again.
LeBron James added 20 points, eight rebounds, and 11 assists, but the Pistons maintained control after taking an early lead.
In Washington, Curry scored a team-high 24 points in his return, marking his first game since injuring his left ankle on Oct. 27.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 28 points, while Derrick White added 21 as Boston coped without injured star Jaylen Brown.
In Phoenix, Kevin Durant scored 35 points, including a driving layup with 24 seconds left that secured the Suns’ 118-116 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Six Suns players scored in double figures as they spoiled nine-time All-Star Paul George’s delayed debut with the 76ers after he joined them as a free agent in the offseason.
In Miami, Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis delivered the game-winner, grabbing an offensive rebound and scoring with seven-tenths of a second left to lift the Kings to a 111-110 victory over the Heat.
In Denver, reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic posted a triple-double of 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists as the Nuggets edged the Toronto Raptors 121-119.
The Utah Jazz ended their season-opening six-game losing streak with a 135-126 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
