Delonte West scores 21 points, Cavaliers use 29-0 run to beat Bucks 101-86

West scores 21 points, Cavs rout Bucks

MILWAUKEE — Delonte West scored 14 of his season-high 21 points in a 29-0 first-half run to lead the streaking Cleveland Cavaliers to a 101-86 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.

LeBron James had 14 points and 10 assists for his fourth straight double-double. After opening the season 3-3, the Cavaliers have gone 12-2 to improve to 15-5.

Former Bucks guard Mo Williams scored 13 points for the Cavs, Shaquille O’Neal had 10 points in 16 minutes, and Anderson Varejao added 12 rebounds.

Cleveland’s big run straddled the first and second quarters and was the biggest scoreless streak in the NBA this season, according to research by STATS, LLC.

Bucks rookie Brandon Jennings scored 15 of his 24 points in the second half after Milwaukee was in a big hole. The Bucks trailed 52-33 at the half and 75-57 heading into the fourth.

That was mostly because of the play of West, who had his best performance so far this season after a rocky summer. West has been working through personal and legal issues after being arrested in September in Washington.

Cleveland trailed 11-0 after missing its first four shots, but it changed quickly.

The run started on Anthony Parker’s jumper to cut Milwaukee’s lead to 17-12. Cleveland had a 21-17 lead after the first quarter and West opened the second with 14 straight points to reach a season high in just over 4 minutes.

James was jumping for joy from the bench watching West’s performance.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ layup made it 39-17 as Milwaukee missed 12 straight shots to start the second quarter and went 11 minutes, 22 seconds without a point before Carlos Delfino hit a turnaround jumper with 5:11 left in the half.

O’Neal then added eight straight points, including an alley-oop from James that made it 47-21.

The last time James was in Milwaukee on Feb. 20 he scored 55 points and this matchup featured the two youngest players to ever score at least that many at age 20 with James (56 in 2005) and Jennings (55 on Nov. 14).

The two got together once in the third quarter when Jennings went behind the back to get in the lane and saw his layup attempt swatted by James, drawing “oohs” from the crowd.

Milwaukee (9-10) started 8-3 as a surprise in the Eastern Conference, but slipped below .500 for the first time since opening the season with losses in two of its first three. The Bucks shot 37.6 percent and went 4 of 20 from 3-point range.

NOTES: The Bucks played Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” as James and the Cavaliers were introduced, an apparent jab at the franchise because James can opt out of his contract at the end of this season and become a free agent. … Bucks coach Scott Skiles returned from a one-game suspension after being ejected during a loss Wednesday night at Washington. … The Bucks were without Michael Redd (sore left knee) for a fifth straight game.