Cavaliers rely on scoring balance to beat Bucks 112-100 for 14th consecutive victory

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Max Strus had 17 points to lead a balanced scoring attack as the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 112-100 on Sunday night for their 14th consecutive victory.

The Cavs became just the second team to win 14 straight while scoring at least 110 points in each of those games. The only other time that happened was in 1986, when the Boston Celtics did it on their way to winning a title.

Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and moved into 50th place on the NBA's career scoring list. He increased his career total to 20,077 to pass Tom Chambers, who scored 20,049 from 1981-98.

Damian Lillard added 22 points for the Bucks, who were playing for a second straight night after losing 111-109 at home to the Orlando Magic on Saturday.

Donovan Mitchell had 15 points for Cleveland. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley added 13 each, while Jarret Allen had 11.

The Cavs took the lead for good with 4:15 left in the first quarter and pulled away by going on a 13-0 run that started with about 8½ minutes remaining.

Cavaliers: This game showcased Cleveland's depth. Nobody scored more than 17 points, but eight players had at least nine points.

Bucks: Milwaukee fell to 0-9 against the top three teams in the East: Cleveland, Boston and New York. This loss opened a string of eight consecutive games in which the Bucks face a team with a winning record.

After Kyle Kuzma sank a 3-pointer to cut Cleveland’s lead to 89-84 with 8:55 remaining, Mitchell responded by making a 3-pointer of his own 21 seconds later to start the 13-0 spurt that put the game away.

Cleveland outscored Milwaukee 57-27 from 3-point range. The Cavs went 19 of 47 from beyond the arc. The Bucks were 9 of 31.

Both teams play again Tuesday, with the Cavaliers hosting the Brooklyn Nets and the Bucks visiting Indiana.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo shoots past Cleveland Cavaliers' Evan Mobley during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Mar. 9, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Milwaukee Bucks' Damian Lillard tries to get past Cleveland Cavaliers' Darius Garland during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Mar. 9, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo shoots past Cleveland Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Mar. 9, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo shoots past Cleveland Cavaliers' De'Andre Hunter during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Mar. 9, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Cleveland Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen fouls Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Mar. 9, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Milwaukee Bucks' Kevin Porter Jr. gets by Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Mar. 9, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Mar. 9, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Cleveland Cavaliers' Ty Jerome knocks the ball from Milwaukee Bucks' Taurean Prince during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Mar. 9, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (AP) — In the aftermath of a fire inside a Swiss Alpine bar that killed 40 people celebrating the new year, survivors, friends and family members, the region’s top authorities and even Pope Leo have spoken to the public in remarks in French, Italian, German and English, reflecting the tradition of Swiss multilingualism.

Another 119 people were injured in the blaze early Thursday as it ripped through the busy Le Constellation bar at the ski resort of Crans-Montana, authorities said. It was one of the deadliest tragedies in Switzerland’s history.

Investigators said Friday that they believe sparkling candles atop Champagne bottles ignited the fatal fire when they came too close to the ceiling of the crowded bar.

Here’s a look at what people said in the wake of the disaster:

— “I’m looking everywhere. The body of my son is somewhere,” Laetitia Brodard told reporters Friday in Crans-Montana as she searched for her son, 16-year-old Arthur. “I want to know, where is my child, and be by his side. Wherever that may be, be it in the intensive care unit or the morgue.”

— “We were bringing people out, people were collapsing. We were doing everything we could to save them, we helped as many as we could. We saw people screaming, running,” Marc-Antoine Chavanon, 14, told The Associated Press in Crans-Montana on Friday, recounting how he rushed to the bar to help the injured. “There was one of our friends: She was struggling to get out, she was all burned. You can’t imagine the pain I saw.”

— “It was hard to live through for everyone. Also probably because everyone was asking themselves, ‘Was my child, my cousin, someone from the region at this party?’” Eric Bonvin, general director of the regional hospital in Sion that took in dozens of injured people, told AP on Friday. “This place was very well known as somewhere to celebrate the new year,” Bonvin said. “Also, seeing young people arrive — that’s always traumatic.”

— “I have seen horror, and I don’t know what else would be worse than this,” Gianni Campolo, a Swiss 19-year-old who was in Crans-Montana on vacation and rushed to the bar to help first responders, told France's TF1 television.

—“You will understand that the priority today is truly placed on identification, in order to allow the families to begin their mourning,” Beatrice Pilloud, the Valais region's attorney general, told reporters Friday during a news conference in Sion.

Pope Leo said in a telegram Friday to the bishop of Sion that he " wishes to express his compassion and concern to the relatives of the victims. He prays that the Lord will welcome the deceased into His abode of peace and light, and will sustain the courage of those who suffer in their hearts or in their bodies.”

— “We have numerous accounts of heroic actions, one could say of very strong solidarity in the moment,” Cantonal head of government Mathias Reynard told RTS radio Friday. "In the first minutes it was citizens — and in large part young people — who saved lives with their courage.”

— “Switzerland is a strong country not because it is sheltered from drama, but because it knows how to face them with courage and a spirit of mutual help," Swiss President Guy Parmelin, speaking on his first day in the position that changes hands annually, told reporters Thursday.

People bring flowers near the sealed off Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Year's celebrations. (AP Photo/ Antonio Calanni)

A woman holding a stuffed animal, whose daughter is missing, gather with others near the sealed-off Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Year's celebrations. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner)

People light candles near the sealed off Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, Swiss Alps, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, where a devastating fire left dead and injured during the New Year's celebrations. (AP Photo/ Antonio Calanni)