Wednesday’s night “showdown” with the Milwaukee Bucks unfolded just about the way I expected it to unfold.

To be clear, I did not expect the Cavs to win that game.

After a 40-point loss on Jan. 17 in Cleveland, you knew the Bucks would be loaded for bear on their home court, with Giannis back in the lineup. And they were.

To add to the perfect storm, emotions were running high after Milwaukee fired Adrian Griffin on Tuesday.

Blech.

The Greek Freak (are we still calling him that?) was absolutely dominant, bulldozing to the basket regardless of how many hapless Cavs defenders had the misfortune to guard him. His final stat line: 35 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists.

As well as Jarrett Allen has been playing – and he was terrific Wednesday night, all things considered – the Cavs really missed Evan Mobley. It was encouraging to see footage of him running sprints prior to tipoff. Giannis and Brook Lopez might be the best frontcourt in the NBA, and Dean Wade was no match for either of them.

So what’s the next move for the Cavaliers?

For starters, I think they need to treat Friday night’s rematch as a must-win game. They need to approach it with the same intensity that they had in their overtime win in Philadelphia.

A win Friday night would even the season series with Milwaukee. But more importantly, it would be a statement win. Let’s face it: Even as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Cavs aren’t a top-tier team. They have a lot of talent, but they have yet to prove that they can hang with the Bostons and Milwaukees of the NBA (the aforementioned win over the 76ers being one of the few exceptions). And they’re a combined 0-4 against Oklahoma City and Indiana this season.

Find a way to win.

What Happened to Craig Porter Jr.?

Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of personnel moves that J.B. Bickerstaff can make to shake things up Friday night. Mobley and Darius Garland are out; Tristan Thompson is serving a 25-game suspension; and Ty Jerome is sidelined with the worst ankle sprain in human history.

What about Craig Porter Jr.?

Inexplicably, Porter logged just one minute of playing time Wednesday night, and many fans on social media have wondered why Porter has fallen out of J.B.’s rotation over the past few games. Count me among them.

Porter is an unflappable rookie who can score, rebound and defend. Would Porter have changed the outcome of Monday night’s game? Probably not. But he might have provided a much-needed spark off the bench – especially considering that Caris LeVert has been dealing with wrist soreness and doesn’t appear to be 100%.

Also – and I can’t believe I’m saying this – how about giving Damian Jones more minutes? Jones chipped in five points in 10 high-energy minutes off the bench. Against the Bucks’ formidable frontcourt, it might even make sense to pair Jones with Allen for a few minutes to see what happens.