Since being acquired by Milwaukee at the NBA trade deadline in February, Michael Carter-Williams has not had the easiest time in a Bucks uniform.
Coming into Wednesday's showdown against the Cavaliers, a possible playoff opponent, he had played in 20 games with the Bucks. And, with Carter-Williams running the offense, the Bucks had won just six of those contests in the six weeks since the point guard came over from Philadelphia. He'd struggled to figure out his place in Milwaukee's offense. He'd struggled, as well, to find his shot, averaging 12.8 points on 38.5 percent shooting, or to find his teammates, averaging 5.5 assists and 3.6 turnovers with the Bucks.
But against Cleveland, after a pair of eight-point outings in his previous two games, Carter-Williams flipped the switch on offense. He scored a season-high 30 points on 13-of-22 shooting, adding eight assists and just two turnovers, while nearly leading the Bucks to a victory over the mighty Cavaliers.
In the end, though, Cleveland prevailed, thanks to a steady dose of Kyrie Irving, Carter-Williams' counterpart, and the late-game heroics of LeBron James. The Cavaliers beat Milwaukee 104-99 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on Wednesday in front of 14,629 fans, many wearing James jerseys but many more screaming for an upset with the game still close in the final moments.
Riding a second-half surge of defense and transition scoring, the Bucks, after an O.J. Mayo jumper that Carter-Williams had assisted, were down 99-97 with 35 seconds remaining. The crowd was on its feet and deafening. But James, who finished with 21 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, morphed into video-game mode. He went one-on-one with Jared Dudley defending, gave the Bucks veteran several lulling dribbles on the right wing, then suddenly pulled up from well behind the 3-point line, plunging the dagger into the Bucks' hearts.
The crowd fell silent, Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd called a timeout and, though Carter-Williams would drive in for a quick layup on the next possession to make it a three-point game, the outcome was decided. Irving would convert his free throws after the necessary foul, and the Cavaliers won their fourth in a row.
"I thought it was a great game by the guys," Kidd said afterward. "It was a two-point game, we're on defense and the best player in the world makes a tough 3. The guys played at a very high level, so yes, they put themselves in a position to win. That's first and foremost the most important thing."
Carter-Williams was central to getting the Bucks into that position. "He played a great game," Kidd said.
Much-maligned for his aesthetically unpleasing and oft-inaccurate jump shot -- Carter-Williams was barely a 40-percent shooter last year, but this season had dropped to 38.1 -- the point guard went on the attack Wednesday night. He scored five baskets on eight shots in the game's first nine minutes, showing an unusually diverse offensive game -- a layup, a dunk, a couple of midrange jump shots and a short runner in the lane.
It was a welcome jolt of offense for a player who had been a go-to scorer in Philadelphia and was expected to drive the Bucks' offense after the trade of former point guard and leading scorer Brandon Knight.
"I had some early openings and I got into a rhythm," Carter-Williams said after the game. "The guys helped me get into spots where I could score the ball. I just tried to be aggressive."
Even though the Bucks didn't get the win on Wednesday, they need to know what they're going to get from last year's rookie of the year, especially with the playoffs looming.
Carter-Williams has had games of offensive brilliance -- 28 points against the Pacers and 25 points against the Pelicans in early March -- but he's also been prone to high-volume brick fests, where he shoots 2 of 12, 3 of 11 and, in Saturday's loss to the Magic, 4 of 14. He has struggled at times to attain a balance between finding his own shot and looking to set up teammates.
But Kidd, a future Hall of Fame point guard, said that's part of the learning curve at the position, especially for a player joining a new team midseason. He was confident Carter-Williams would become more consistent.
"I think you look at being 23 years old, continuing to work on his offensive game since the trade," Kidd said. "He's starting to trend up, getting comfortable playing with his teammates, understanding what the guys need from him on the offensive end and the defensive end. I thought he attacked as well tonight as he has all season, and he needs to continue to do that."
Carter-Williams was much better as a distributor, too. Entering the night, his assist-to-turnover ratio was 1.53; on Wednesday, that ratio was 4.0.
"If my shot wasn't there, I would try to pass it and try to find the open man," he said.
As Milwaukee looks to lock up its playoff spot -- the team is currently the No. 6 seed but could potentially fall to No. 7 and have to face James and the second-seeded Cavaliers again in the postseason -- Carter-Williams said he and his teammates have a good mindset and are confident.
"We're focused on ourselves," he said. "We know we're in a pretty good position. We've just got to stay calm and just play our game, play hard, listen to our coaches and we'll be fine."
Antetokounmpo benched: Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play on Wednesday, a curious change for the second-year forward who'd started 67 of the 77 games he played in this season.
Dudley replaced Antetokounmpo in the lineup.
Before the game, Kidd said he was "just making a change" and seemed to suggest Antetokounmpo could come off the bench.
But afterward, Kidd said several times that it was a "coach's decision" and would not elaborate as to why -- injury, discipline or other -- the team's leader in minutes per game sat out.
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