The Milwaukee Bucks’ away journey continues as they clash with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, following a trio of games in New York.

Zigzagging through New York, Milwaukee emerged with a 2-1 record after securing a 144-122 victory against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. Giannis Antetokounmpo spearheaded the win with 32 points, shooting 10-of-12, while also collecting 10 rebounds and dishing out eight assists. Khris Middleton chipped in with 27 points and 10 assists, and Cameron Payne contributed 18 points coming off the bench.

Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin, acknowledging the rigorous schedule in New York, remarked, “Not making excuses, but we’ve been in New York for five days and it’s been a lot. These games you just try to find a way to win the game, it was tough to find some rhythm and continuity defensively.”

Griffin commended Middleton, stating, “I trust Khris 100 percent. It’s great to have a player like Khris who sees the game at a high level. The connection he has with Giannis and just having him as a coach on the floor. There’s times I call a play and Khris already has something.”

Cleveland, after a hard-fought contest on Wednesday, bested the Dallas Mavericks 113-110 on the road, rallying from a 20-point deficit. Caris LeVert led the charge for the Cavaliers with 29 points and seven assists off the bench, while Jarrett Allen secured a double-double with 24 points and 23 rebounds, and Isaac Okoro contributed 22 points.

Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff emphasized the team’s resilience, stating, “Guts, plain and simple. The ability to dig down somewhere when things weren’t going our way. We were struggling defensively in the first half but collectively we went out and just found a way. You don’t do that without heart, courage and fortitude.”

Looking ahead to the clash, Antetokounmpo leads Milwaukee with 30.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, while Donovan Mitchell heads Cleveland’s scoring charts with an average of 27.7 points per game. Darius Garland provides playmaking for the Cavaliers, averaging 5.9 assists per night, and Evan Mobley serves as a force down low, averaging 10.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.

On the injury front, Milwaukee’s Jae Crowder is sidelined with an abdominal tear, while Cleveland has several players out, including Mitchell, Garland, Mobley, Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, and Sam Merrill. Garland and Mobley face extended absences due to respective jaw and knee injuries, and Mitchell is questionable Friday with an illness.

The Cavaliers have proved to be a challenging opponent for Milwaukee in the regular season over the past two years, setting the stage for an intriguing clash.