Love, James lead Cavs past Bucks

CLEVELAND — Kevin Love joked that he might swing by the hospital on his way home.

On a recent visit, he got a dose of something that made him and the Cavaliers feel better.

Love scored a seasonhigh 32 points without attempting a 3-pointer, LeBron James added 30 following an interesting couple days on social media, and Cleveland withstood a 40-point performance by Giannis Antetokounmpo to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 124-119 on Tuesday night.

The Cavs have been one of the NBA’s biggest surprises this season — for all the wrong reasons. But after losing five of six, they did enough to hand the young-andimproving Bucks their fourth straight loss and keep Cleveland fans from panicking.

Love was briefly hospitalized after scoring just four points and leaving a surprising loss to Atlanta in the third quarter on Sunday. Following his best game this season, Cleveland’s center was asked what IV medications he received.

“I don’t know,” he said with a smile. “Whatever they gave me I might go back and check myself in tonight.”

Love added 16 rebounds. J.R. Smith found his stroke and added a season-high 20 points for the Cavs.

“That’s my guy,” James said of Smith, who went 5 of 7 on 3-pointers while wearing a model of James’ sneakers. “Swish is my guy and he’s been struggling the first 10 games. I told him it was the shoes. He finally decided to wear my shoes. After a long conversation we finally decided to wear them and he had a breakout game.

“He hit the 3-ball, got into the paint. That was Swish. We’re gonna need more of that from him a lot coming up.”

Still a few weeks shy of his 23rd birthday, the multi-talented Antetokounmpo finished 16 of 21 from the floor. He also had nine rebounds and eight turnovers before fouling out with 18 seconds left.

Malcolm Brogdon had 22 points for Milwaukee, and Khris Middleton finished with 20. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 25 points, and San Antonio made a season-high 15 3-pointers to beat Los Angeles at home. Anthony Davis had 37 points and 14 rebounds, Demarcus Cousins added 32 points and 13 boards and New Orleans rallied to beat Indiana on the road.

Eric Bledsoe, who wanted out of Phoenix, was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for big man Greg Monroe and two 2018 draft picks — protected first- and second-rounders.