12:51 p.m. - 2006-02-23
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Bucks-Bulls
Kirk Hinrich sparked the Bulls on both ends of the floor.
Hinrich scored 26 points and Ben Gordon scored all 19 of his points in the second half to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 97-91 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.
The Bucks dropped their seventh straight on the road and have not won a game away from the Bradley Center since beating Atlanta on Jan 20.
Hinrich drew the assignment of chasing around Michael Redd, who led the Bucks with 30 points. However, Redd only had two points in the fourth quarter and shot 1-for-9 in the period. He attempted a career-high 34 shots.
``Obviously (he's) a tough assignment, but at this point in my career I would hope to be playing on both ends of the court no matter who I am guarding,'' Hinrich said.
Trailing 86-80 with 5:14 left, Hinrich led the Bulls back by scoring seven straight points in Chicago's 9-0 run. He hit back-to-back jumpers and then a 3 to give Chicago a 87-86 lead. The next time down, Deng went up strong on the baseline for a layup making it 89-86.
``If you never done it the way Kirk does it, it's hard to explain how hard it is to chase some of the game's best players around 2, 3, 4 screens sometimes in the same possession and almost always taller than him, sometimes stronger also, so he does such a good job of it,'' said Bulls coach Scott Skiles. ``I thought it wore him down a little bit, but he really responded late in the game. I thought overall it was (one) Kirk's better games.''
T.J. Ford found Andrew Bogut underneath for a basket to cut Chicago's lead to 89-88 with 1:11 left. Malik Allen answered for Chicago, taking Gordon's pass for a basket to make it 91-88.
Redd tried to cut into the Chicago lead, but Tyson Chandler blocked his shot. On the other end, Gordon hit a 3 for Chicago to give them a 94-88 lead with 30.1 seconds left. Bobby Simmons kept the Bucks in the game with a three-point play with 27.2 left, but the Bucks never had a chance to tie it.
Luol Deng added 12 points and nine rebounds for Chicago and Chandler had 12 rebounds and four blocked shots.
Chandler blocked Ford's shot with 25 seconds left leading to a dunk by Gordon.
``We didn't make shots at the end of the game when we really needed it. We played extremely well for 36 minutes of the game, but at the end of the game they really took over,'' said Redd.
Charlie Bell scored 15 points off the bench for, Ford had eight points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Bogut scored 11 with 10 rebounds.
``We got the lead in the fourth quarter, but our quick shots got them back in the game. If we would have had the patience to move the ball a little bit more, we probably could have extended the lead,'' said Milwaukee head coach Terry Stots.
The Bulls led by as many as 11 in the first quarter. Hinrich sparked a 16-0 Chicago run in the first quarter. He scored eight points in the span and Chris Duhon hit two free throws to give Chicago a 28-17 lead. Milwaukee came back in the second quarter by outscoring Chicago 18-3 to start the quarter. Ford had a steal and a basket and Bobby Simmons followed with a 3 to give Milwaukee a 40-34 lead.
Redd scored 20 points in the first half for Milwaukee, who led 52-48. Redd hit 8-of-20 shots in the half. Hinrich led Chicago with 17 points in the first half on 6-for-9 shooting.
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3:45 p.m. - 2006-02-22
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Hornets-Pacers
Indiana forward Danny Granger showed New Orleans guard Chris Paul that he's not alone in the Rookie of the Year race.
Granger scored a season-high 22 points and had 11 rebounds Tuesday night to lead Indiana to a 97-75 victory over the Hornets, the Pacers' sixth victory in seven games.
Paul led the Hornets with 27 points and six assists. He shot 8-for-15 from the field, but his teammates were 17-for-59.
Granger and Paul were teammates in the Rookie Challenge during the NBA All-Star weekend. Granger said Paul deserves the credit he has received because the Hornets are 29-24 after going 18-64 last season.
``Chris Paul, he's a great player,'' Granger said. ``What he's done for that team, he's changed them from night and day. That's why he'll be a leading candidate. There's other rookies like myself, (Andrew) Bogut and (Charlie) Villanueva, but he's changed that whole team.''
Granger proved he can change his team, too. He shot 8-for-9 from the field and was 6-of-8 from the line against the Hornets.
``Danny had a great night,'' Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. ``We're a different team when he plays the way he did tonight. We need him to continue to play at that level.''
Granger said he has finally adjusted to the speed of the NBA.
``In the beginning, everything was going too fast,'' he said. ``As I've been playing more and more, it has slowed down a little bit and I find myself playing better. The more time I get on the court, the higher my confidence goes.''
Anthony Johnson scored 19 points and Peja Stojakovic added 16 and nine rebounds for the Pacers. The Hornets shot 34 percent and were outrebounded 49-39.
``We weren't ready to play, bottom line,'' New Orleans coach Byron Scott said. ``We're a young team and we lacked to play a good game against a very good team in Indiana. We can't do that coming off the All-Star break. We have to be careful with other teams right behind us in our conference.''
David West, New Orleans' leading scorer, missed the game to be with his wife and newborn child. Desmond Mason was the only Hornets player other than Paul in double figures with 12 points.
It was the Pacers' third victory by more than 20 points this month and their fifth win by 11 points or more in their last seven games.
Indiana shot 50 percent in the first half to take a 50-43 lead at the break. Paul kept the Hornets in the game with 17 points.
Indiana opened the third quarter with a 7-0 run that forced New Orleans to call a timeout. The Hornets could not recover as the Pacers held them to 6-for-22 shooting in the period to put the game away. Indiana led 76-60 after the third and maintained its lead in the fourth.
The Pacers' reserves, led by Granger, outscored New Orleans' backups 46-27. Reserve Sarunas Jasikevicius added 10 points for Indiana, which heads to Detroit for a showdown with the Pistons on Thursday night. Indiana beat Detroit 93-85 on Feb. 4.
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2:47 p.m. - 2006-02-22
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Nets-Bucks
After outscoring Vince Carter by a point in the first half, Richard Jefferson joked that maybe the two should swap paychecks.
``How is it I make less money than you and have more points right now?'' Carter recalled Jefferson saying at halftime.
Instead, Carter went out and earned his money.
The All-Star guard scored 38 second-half points, including driving layups on back-to-back possessions in the final minute to rally the New Jersey Nets to an 89-85 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.
Jason Kidd added his fourth triple-double of the season for the Nets, who snapped the Bucks' six-game home winning streak and won in Milwaukee for the first time since 2000.
``When the scorer is going like that, you've got to get him the ball,'' said Kidd, who had 12 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds for the 71st triple-double of his career. ``He puts so much pressure on the defense.''
Carter scored the Nets' final 14 points and finished with 45.
``We got tight, and they put the ball in their best player's hands,'' Bucks forward Joe Smith said.
The Bucks have been playing good defense of late but fell apart in the fourth quarter.
``Sometimes you try and not let him get the ball, but they throw it up there, there's nothing you can do,'' Milwaukee guard Charlie Bell said.
This was one of those times, as Carter scored on a mixture of dunks and drives, 3-pointers and free throws. The second of his two straight driving layups put the Nets ahead 86-83 with 27.8 seconds to go.
``I thought we should have sent him the other way but he got to the rim two times,'' Bucks coach Terry Stotts said. ``One time was too easy - we had to foul him. The other time he scores in 2 seconds out of a timeout. It was too easy.''
Nets coach Lawrence Frank noted that this was only his team's third victory when trailing after three quarters.
``He obviously was really special,'' Frank said. ``Probably most importantly, his intent in the last 1:32, getting to the rim was obviously huge.''
A steal and slam dunk by Carter drew the Nets to 81-80 with 2:05 remaining. But then he was called for a foul, and Smith hit two free throws to put the Bucks ahead by three with 1:32 left.
Two free throws by Carter made it a one-point game again, and the Bucks turned the ball over out of bounds. Carter hit driving layups on two straight possessions, putting the Nets ahead 86-83 with 27.8 seconds to go.
Smith answered with a layup with 16.1 seconds left.
Carter was fouled on the inbounds pass and made one of two free throws. Bucks guard Mo Williams, in his first game back from an ankle sprain, missed a frantic jump shot on the other end.
Williams said he was fouled on the play, but Kidd made a ``veteran move'' on defense to avoid the whistle.
``I thought I got fouled - I know I did,'' Williams said. ``The call just wasn't made.''
Carter sealed the win with two more free throws.
Stotts was called for a technical in the third quarter after questioning a foul call on Bobby Simmons, and Kidd was hit with a technical near the end of the first half for complaining to a referee after he was called for two quick defensive fouls.
Michael Redd scored nine points in the first half, all on free throws. Redd, the Bucks' leading scorer, only attempted two first-half shots and was held to 18 points for the game.
Kidd credited Jefferson for his defense on Redd.
``RJ sacrificed a lot of his offense to guard Michael Redd and (make) it tough for him,'' Kidd said.
Simmons also scored 18 for the Bucks.
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2:05 p.m. - 2006-02-15
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SuperSonics-Bucks
Michael Redd was happy to face former teammate Ray Allen.
Redd scored 19 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 106-91 victory over Allen and the Seattle SuperSonics on Tuesday night.
``We practiced against each other for several years so it was great to see him tonight and get to play against him,'' said Redd, who has taken over Allen's former shooting guard spot. ``He's a great player and great friend.''
It was the second time Allen had played in Milwaukee since being traded on Feb. 20, 2003 with Ronald Murray to Seattle for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason. In his first trip back to Milwaukee last season, Allen scored 16 points, shooting only 4-for-16 from the field.
This time Allen scored 19 points, going 8-for-14 from the field. Rashard Lewis scored 25 points to lead Seattle, which suffered its sixth loss in its last seven games.
Allen, who played six seasons for the Bucks, said it felt ``weird'' to be on the visitors bench.
``This building is funny for me,'' he said. ``Toni Kukoc hit a shot at the end of the game and my hands twitched because I almost clapped for him. They (the Bucks) still mean a lot to me.''
In fact, Redd said Allen called him last week after Redd found out he did not make the All-Star team. Allen made the Western Conference All-Star team.
``He encouraged me to keep my head up and keep playing,'' Redd said.
Allen was discouraged by his own team's lack of effort in the second half as they fell behind by more than 20 points.
``Just because the game is over, doesn't mean you can give up on it,'' he said. ``That was our body language out there on the floor. To me, that is embarrassing.''
Joe Smith added 18 points and Bobby Simmons had 15 for the Bucks, who have won six straight home games.
Milwaukee point guard T.J. Ford left the game with 5:52 remaining in the third quarter with a mid-back bruise. He didn't return and is listed as day-to-day. Ford has missed six games since Dec. 30th with a left mid-foot sprain and a left hamstring strain. He sat out the entire 2004-05 season with a bruised spinal cord. The Bucks backup point guard Mo Williams missed his ninth straight game Tuesday with a sprained left ankle.
After the game, Ford said he plan to play Wednesday against Indiana. He said Seattles Nick Collison ran into him under the basket.
``It was just one of those things I wanted to get checked out,'' he said. ``I could have gone back in the game, but there was no reason to.''
Redd said a big key for the Bucks was the teams defense. The Bucks held an opponent under 94 points for the 10th straight game, which is a franchise record.
``Weve been picking up our defense over the past couple of games,'' he said.
Bucks coach Terry Stotts said the teams bench was a key to the victory. The Bucks bench, led by Smith and Dan Gadzuric, who scored 10 points, outscored Seattles bench 49-30.
``It was great to get a win and rest our starters,'' he said
Milwaukee was leading 31-22 early in the second quarter before going on a 22-11 run to grab its largest lead of the half when Redd scored on a short jumper with five minutes left in the period. The Sonics scored the next nine points to trim the lead to 53-42, but the Bucks scored six of the last eight points of the first half to grab a 59-44 halftime lead.
Seattle could get no closer than 11 in the second half.
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10:32 a.m. - 2006-02-06
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Grizzlies-Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks came up with their best defensive effort of the season to overcome one bad quarter.
Michael Redd scored 23 points in his return to the lineup as the Bucks beat the Memphis Grizzlies 88-78 Saturday night, despite tying a franchise low by scoring only eight points in the second quarter.
It was the fewest points the Bucks have allowed this season, topping a 79-point defensive effort against Boston on Jan. 29.
T.J. Ford grabbed a loose ball and made a layup with 2:02 remaining. He was fouled on the play and made the free throw, putting the Bucks ahead 81-73.
``They really took the challenge defensively and we won with defensive,'' Bucks coach Terry Stotts said. ``T.J.'s three-point play was big, but that came off a defensive play.''
Ford's play came after a series of clutch scores by Bucks center Jamaal Magloire.
``Jamaal was huge,'' said Redd, who played three days after missing a game because of back spasms. ``He played well tonight defensively, as well as offensively.''
Magloire had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Bucks, who made 16 of 17 free throws in the fourth quarter.
``I made some free throws, I've been working on that,'' Magloire said. ``I thought our inside play was really good.''
The Grizzlies took a 73-72 lead on Pau Gasol's dunk with 6:06 remaining in the game. But Magloire's layup put the Bucks ahead 74-73, and Magloire hit two free throws to extend the lead to three with 3:59 remaining.
The Grizzlies' Eddie Jones came up with a steal with 2:43 remaining, but stepped out of bounds. Magloire was fouled and made two more free throws, putting the Bucks ahead 78-73.
Gasol had 19 points for the Grizzlies, who have lost three of four.
``We turned the ball over two or three times in a row,'' Gasol said. ``That gave them their lead and is when we lost the game.''
Grizzlies coach Mike Fratello also cited turnovers as a problem.
``If you don't get a shot at the basket, how are going to score?'' Fratello said. ``That puts tremendous pressure on us to get stops at the other end of the floor.''
Bucks forward Joe Smith played for the first time since having surgery on his left knee Dec. 6. Smith entered the game with 5:54 left in the first quarter and immediately blocked a shot by Gasol.
``For us to come back home from a tough road trip and get this win, I think is pretty big for us,'' Smith said.
The Bucks broke a two-game losing streak, having lost to Houston and New Orleans.
Milwaukee scored 33 points in the first quarter, building a 12-point lead. But the Bucks went cold in the second quarter, allowing the Grizzlies to go into halftime with a 42-41 lead.
The Bucks scored only eight points in the second quarter, tying their lowest output in a period in franchise history. The last time the Bucks scored eight points in a quarter was March 15, 2003, against the Los Angeles Lakers.
``They are a good defensive team,'' Stotts said. ``That probably had something to do with it. But we played a little too much off the dribble. Certainly, we missed some shots that we could have had. The eight turnovers really puts you behind the 8-ball.''
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3:42 p.m. - 2006-01-02
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Bucks 113, Knicks 108
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Stephon Marbury did his best to lift the struggling Knicks, but New York couldn't stop Mo Williams and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Marbury had 23 points and 12 assists for the Knicks in a 113-108 loss to the Bucks on Friday night, one game after he didn't hit a shot from the field and was criticized by coach Larry Brown.
``Everybody's trying to do what they can to win,'' Marbury said. ``No one is out there playing to lose, everyone is trying to contribute as far as playing defense, playing smart, playing together.''
Williams scored 30 points and Michael Redd added 22 to lead Milwaukee.
``Mo played tonight the way he's played all year,'' Bucks coach Terry Stotts said. ``Scoring 30 points on 17 shots is pretty effective, efficient.''
Williams, staring at point guard while T.J. Ford misses two weeks with a sprained foot, led the Bucks' dynamic backcourt as Milwaukee improved to 14-1 when scoring more than 100 points.
``I average 15, so I feel I have to score a little bit,'' Williams said. ``With T.J. out, I just have to find my places.''
Bobby Simmons had 18 points and Jamaal Magloire added 15 for the Bucks.
The Knicks dropped to 7-21 - matching their worst start since 1986-87 - and fell into last place in the Atlantic Division, percentage points behind Toronto (8-22).
``I've spoken to you after 28 games, and there was one game I was disappointed and I said that,'' Brown told reporters after the loss. ``Everybody makes a big deal (about it), I coached him for the next two days just like I always coached him. He's done what I asked and tries to win the game.''
Maurice Taylor scored 18 points, Channing Frye added 15 and Eddy Curry had 12 for the Knicks. But Taylor picked up his fifth foul with 7:36 left, and the Knicks were in the penalty with 5:03 remaining after Curry also picked up his fifth.
Williams, who finished 11-of-17 from the field with six rebounds and five assists, was the catalyst when Milwaukee took the lead just before the start of the fourth on a 9-0 run.
``Mo has more of a scorer's mentality - more of a 3-point shooter,'' Redd said. ``T.J. is more of a penetrator, a creator. They both bring a little something different to the table.''
New York, which went on a 4-minute stretch without a field goal early in the fourth, cut the Bucks' lead to 97-96 after Nate Robinson, who finished with 19 points, hit a 3-pointer and added two free throws.
Simmons answered with a fadeaway jumper and added a breakaway dunk. Then Williams scored on another fast break layup after a turnover by Jamal Crawford to give Milwaukee a 103-96 lead with 2:09 left. The Knicks never had the ball with a chance to tie after that.
``I was awful down the stretch,'' Crawford said. ``I missed two free throws, a 3-pointer and threw the ball away. That was uncharacteristic of me.''
Before the game, Brown said the situation with Marbury wasn't an issue. He was critical of his point guard after the Knicks' loss Wednesday to the Orlando Magic for not being aggressive enough.
Marbury finished that game with five points and was 0-for-7 from the field, but Brown said general manager Isiah Thomas hasn't asked about the dynamic and emotional playmaker.
``If it was a big thing for him, I'm sure he would address that,'' Brown said.
Marbury, who shot 7-of-15 from the field and was 9-of-10 from the free throw line, began to play frantically just before the half, first finding David Lee for a dunk for his ninth assist.
On the next possession, he called for the ball, turned it over in traffic and raced back down to strip Jermaine Jackson at the other end.
After Dan Gadzuric tipped a ball to a wide open Redd under the basket to cut the Knicks' lead to 57-54 with 1 second left, Marbury barely missed a 41-foot shot at the halftime buzzer.
Notes: The Bucks avoided losing a third straight game. The last time Milwaukee lost three in a row was a four-game stretch from April 8-15 last season. ... Hubie Brown quit after going 4-12 in 1986 and New York started 7-21, but won the next two games. ... It was the first game Andrew Bogut did not wear a mask since breaking his nose on Nov. 23 against Philadelphia.
New York Knicks - Milwaukee Bucks Goals Total 1 2 3 OT Shootout
New York Knicks 108
Milwaukee Bucks 113
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4:43 p.m. - 2005-12-19
Jazz-Bucks
Jazz 88, Bucks 80
The Utah Jazz simply outworked the Milwaukee Bucks.
Mehmet Okur had 14 points and 14 rebounds and Gordan Giricek and Deron Williams also each scored 14 points in Utah's 88-80 victory Saturday night.
``They came out and played hard and we didn't match their intensity,'' Milwaukee coach Terry Stotts said. ``We fought our way back tonight and got it tied up. At that point I thought we had it turned around, but we didn't.''
The Jazz rebounded from a loss Friday night in Indiana.
``We had stretches all night long,'' Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. ``I have confidence in these guys, if we execute.''
Utah opened the game strong, holding Milwaukee without a point until Mo Williams made a jumper with 7:18 left in the first quarter.
The Jazz led 25-13 after the first period and extended their lead to 16 at 29-13 with two quick baskets in the second quarter by Andre Owens and Greg Ostertag.
Milwaukee, which won Friday at Boston, cut it to 38-32, outscoring the Jazz 14-6. Toni Kukoc scored nine points in the run for Milwaukee.
Utah didn't relinquish the lead, however, until the Bucks went on a 8-0 run to grab a 63-62 lead on two free throws from T.J. Ford. Utah responded with a basket from Owens, but Ford sprinted quickly downcourt and made a jumper - Milwaukee's fifth made shot in a row - to give the Bucks a 65-64 lead.
Ostertag then made one of two free throws to tie it at 65 to end the third quarter.
Utah star Andre Kirilenko left the game in the second quarter with a back injury after playing 17 minutes. Matt Harpring (knee) didn't play after receiving a cortisone shot after Friday's game.
The Jazz opened the fourth quarter with a 12-2 run to make it 77-67.
``That's the way we play every game,'' Utah's Gordon Giricek said. ``We always try to play hard defense and help each other.''
Michael Redd led the Bucks with 19 points. Ford added 16 and Jamaal Magloire had 14 points and 16 rebounds.
Notes: Milwaukee played without starting forwards Joe Smith (knee) and Bobby Simmons (shoulder). ... Andrew Bogut, the top pick in the NBA draft last summer, had two points and four rebounds in 21 minutes for the Bucks. ... The Bucks, third in the NBA in 3-point percentage at 41 percent, were 3-for-15 from 3-point range.
Utah Jazz - Milwaukee Bucks Goals Total 1 2 3 OT Shootout
Utah Jazz 88
Milwaukee Bucks 80
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2:51 p.m. - 2005-12-14
Bucks-Knicks
Bucks 112, Knicks 92
The No. 1 draft pick struggled and one of the team's starters was out with an injury.
Thanks to Dan Gadzuric, Toni Kukoc and the rest of Milwaukee's reserves, the Bucks had nothing to worry about.
Gadzuric scored a season-high 18 points, and the Bucks beat the New York Knicks 112-92 Monday night for their third straight victory.
Michael Redd finished with 31 points to lead Milwaukee, which has won six of seven and improved to 10-1 against Eastern Conference teams. Maurice Williams added 15.
But it was the bench players who were the difference in a game that was tied after one quarter. Kukoc added 10 points, helping Milwaukee's reserves outscore New York's 42-20. The Bucks were without guard Bobby Simmons, who is fourth on the team with 12.3 points a game. He hurt his shoulder in a win over Cleveland on Saturday.
``That's been our backbone somewhat,'' Redd said of the play by the team's reserves. ``Starting five's not going to be able to do it throughout the season. We realize the key is to have a solid bench.''
Rookie Channing Frye scored a career-high 30 points for the Knicks, who dropped their third straight. Nate Robinson and Eddy Curry each had 15.
``I haven't had to coach effort with this team. Tonight, I felt I did and that's no fun,'' Knicks coach Larry Brown said. ``It's my responsibility to get us to do better.''
Frye dominated his matchup with fellow lottery pick Andrew Bogut - but that may have backfired for the Knicks because it meant more playing time for Gadzuric. He scored 12 points during the decisive second quarter, then came back off the bench late in the third period to make three field goals after New York had pulled within single digits.
Gadzuric entered averaging five points in just over 12 minutes per game. He fell shy of his career high of 22 points, set last April against Boston.
``Dan's been on a nice little roll,'' Milwaukee coach Terry Stotts said. ``He's gaining confidence and players are gaining confidence (in him), obviously. When he's open under the basket they find him.''
Quentin Richardson rejoined the Knicks, a week after leaving the team following the shooting death of his brother in Chicago. He started and scored five pointsMilwaukee was ahead by one before Gadzuric and another reserve, Charlie Bell, combined for 11 points in a 16-2 run that extended the Bucks' lead to 53-38 on Redd's 3-pointer with 4:14 left in the half. Bell was hurt during the spurt when teammate Jiri Welsch crashed into him while trying to make a steal, and he was helped to the locker room with a sprained right knee.
``They went to the bench and we went to the bench and that was a difference,'' Brown said.
Milwaukee shot 67 percent in the quarter to build a 61-49 halftime lead. The Knicks were within eight points with a little more than a minute left in the third, but Gadzuric had a dunk and a layup off an alley-oop to put the Bucks ahead 87-75 entering the final period.
Despite playing without Simmons, the Bucks shot 54 percent and were 12-of-19 (63 percent) from 3-point range, with Redd going 5-for-5.
``I can't really tell you what happened tonight,'' Frye said. ``Basically they played a great game and hit open shots.''
The Bucks didn't even need a big game from Bogut, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft who finished with just four points and five rebounds. He played only 24 minutes, while Frye shot 14-of-18 in 41 minutes.
``Sometimes guys are going to play not the way they want to play, and that happens,'' Gadzuric said. ``I have off nights, everybody has off nights. It's up to the teammates to pick each other up and that's what a team is for.''
Notes: Richardson's first basket was a driving dunk late in the first quarter. He was called for a technical foul for pulling on the rim. ... Qyntel Woods made his Knicks' debut and scored five points.
Milwaukee Bucks - New York Knicks Goals Total 1 2 3 OT Shootout
Milwaukee Bucks 112
New York Knicks 92
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8:58 a.m. - 2005-12-14
Cavaliers-Bucks
Bucks 111, Cavaliers 106
LeBron James did everything but win.
The 20-year-old star scored an NBA season-high 52 points, but T.J. Ford tied his career high with 24 and Michael Redd added 23 to help the Milwaukee Bucks beat James and the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-106 on Saturday night.
James was 19-for-29 from the floor, including 5-of-9 shooting from 3-point range, and 9-for-10 from the line. He fell four points short of his career high of 56 set in a loss at Toronto on March 20.
``I don't want to score 50 again for the rest of my career because I am now 0-2 when I score 50,'' James joked after the game. ``I don't look at it as me playing well. It's the fact that we didn't get a win and that's all I care for.''
James, who also had seven assists and seven defensive rebounds, had 31 points in the first half on 13-of-17 shooting and 3-of-4 from the 3-point line.
Kobe Bryant had the previous NBA high this season of 46 points for the Los Angeles Lakers in an overtime game against New Jersey on Nov. 27.
``He scored 50-some in Toronto and we ended up losing,'' Zydrunas Ilgauskas said.
``He obviously had a great night, but we couldn't get the crucial stops. They beat us to the loose balls or they got the offensive boards or we had offensive breakdowns.''
The Bucks couldn't stop James, but did a great job on his teammates.
``We didn't want him to go off for 50, but he shot the ball so well coming out that it's was kind of hard to stop him,'' said Andrew Bogut, who had a career-high 21 points, including seven down the stretch as the Bucks handed Cleveland its seventh consecutive loss in Milwaukee since March 8, 2002. ``Other guys didn't get involved in the second half and that keyed us.''
Ilgauskas scored 12 of his 20 points in the first half for Cleveland. Larry Hughes, the team's second-leading scorer, had all of his nine points in the second half.
The Bucks have won five of their last six games.
James, who entered the game averaging 29 points, became the first Cavaliers player to have five consecutive games of 30 or more points. Mike Mitchell scored at least 30 points in four straight games from March 1-9, 1981.
Ford's 24 points came on 9-of-12 shooting, including a career-high 5-of-5 from 3-point range. He also had nine assists.
``That's not what he's known for, but he stepped up and hit them,'' Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said.
The Bucks outrebounded the Cavaliers 41-28, with Jamaal Magloire grabbing 15.
Cleveland is 1-4 during James' scoring surge and has lost six of its last eight since a season-high eight-game winning streak.
``We will get it together,'' James said. ``We know we're a good team.''
The Bucks led 86-82 going into the fourth and Mo Williams' 3-pointer gave them a 91-84 lead early in the fourth. But Milwaukee couldn't pull away.
James' layup tied it at 98 with 5:07 to play, but Bogut, the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft, took over down the stretch.
Bogut dunked over James, who had 10 points in the fourth, and after Ford made a layup, Bogut added another layup and Milwaukee led 104-99 with 2:40 left.
Then Ford came off a screen set by Bogut to hit a jumper and a 106-101 lead with less than a minute left. Bogut scored off a rebound to push the lead to 108-103 with 32.9 seconds left.
``I'm just trying to play hard,'' Bogut said. ``I'm just proving a point to myself that I can play in this league.''
James banked in a 3-pointer to trim the lead to two points, but Bobby Simmons made a free throw and Cleveland could get no closer.
Donyell Marshall missed a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left. Simmons grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He made both free throws and Cleveland missed two 3-points attempts in the final 9.3 seconds.
James tripped over Dan Gadzuric late in the third quarter, but finished the quarter. The Cleveland star did not start the fourth and received treatment on his left leg during the break. He returned in the fourth and cut and slashed to the basket without any problem, but only attempted five shots in the fourth.
Notes: In his previous three games, James was a combined 29-for-74. ... Bucks forward Toni Kukoc, inactive with a neck strain for Wednesday night's game at Philadelphia, was back. ... Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki and Allen Iverson also have had four consecutive games of 30 or more points this season. ... The Bucks are 9-1 against the Eastern Conference.
Cleveland Cavaliers - Milwaukee Bucks Goals Total 1 2 3 OT Shootout
Cleveland Cavaliers 106
Milwaukee Bucks 111
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9:20 p.m. - 2005-12-10
Bucks-76ers
Bucks-76ers
Bucks 88, 76ers 85
Milwaukee sank all the free throws, grabbed all the rebounds and made the smart plays in the final minutes that Philadelphia simply couldn't convert.
That's why everyone was talking about the Bucks' impressive comeback at the end, instead of the one the slumping 76ers made earlier.
Andrew Bogut's go-ahead putback with 10.7 seconds left capped a frantic fourth-quarter rally and led the Bucks over the 76ers 88-85 on Wednesday night.
``We just grinded it out, made a few plays here and there and came out with the win,'' Milwaukee's Mo Williams said.
Michael Redd scored 24 points, and Williams sank two clutch free throws in the final minute and scored 16 for the Bucks, who blew an 18-point first-half lead before completing an impressive comeback of their own.
With Milwaukee down seven points with just over 2 minutes left, Redd got the Bucks rolling with two free throws and a layup that pulled them within three.
Then John Salmons foolishly fouled Williams on a 3-point attempt with 23 seconds left, and the reserve guard calmly made the first two and missed the last one to make it 85-84.
Samuel Dalembert blew his chance to give Philadelphia a needed cushion when he missed both free throws with 19 seconds left. T.J. Ford went the length of the court and missed his layup, but Bogut was there for the follow and an 86-85 lead.
Allen Iverson missed a wide open jumper and Redd hit a couple of free throws to seal the Bucks' third win of the season over the Sixers.
``It showed we know how to win down the stretch,'' Ford said. ``Every time we got a good look, guys just made plays.''
Iverson scored 23 points and Dalembert had 13 points and 12 rebounds, but the Sixers lost their fourth straight game.
``It's almost like we are freezing up when it starts to get to winning time,'' Iverson said. ``Once you do that, you can't win basketball games. If we don't learn how to pull them out, then we can expect a lot of games like this.''
The Sixers wiped out a 15-point halftime deficit in the third with one of their most energetic and efficient quarters of the season.
They opened the quarter with a 15-4 run that was keyed by Dalembert finally breaking free down low for some emphatic dunks.
Jamaal Magloire was whistled for a technical foul after he complained the referees missed a couple of fouls on his way to the basket. The Sixers seized on the call, with the slumping Chris Webber making the free throw and sinking an 18-footer from the right on the possession to tie the game at 62-all.
Dalembert was fouled on a nice basket from the block and made the free throw to make it 65-62 for Philadelphia's first lead since early in the game. Dalembert ended the quarter with another dunk, making him 4-for-4 in the quarter as the Sixers shot 60 percent and took a 71-65 lead.
``It's a shame that we lose a game like that after having to make a comeback like that,'' Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said.
Webber had one of his worst games of the season. He went 4-for-15 for 11 points and six rebounds.
Looking for some sort of lift off the bench with top reserves Steven Hunter and Lee Nailon struggling lately, Cheeks got surprising production from seldom-used Shavlik Randolph.
Randolph, who hadn't scored than two points in a game in limited playing time, scored 10 points and had seven rebounds in 14 minutes.
The Bucks had only five baskets in the third after making 16 of 25 shots in the second, when they seemed poised to turn this one into a blowout. Redd hit two 3s and Charlie Bell added one during an 18-4 run, and a running jumper from Williams gave the Bucks their largest lead of the game, 48-30.
Notes: Former MVP Moses Malone has tutored the Sixers big men on rebounding. ``He was impressive,'' Dalembert said. It didn't help. The Bucks outrebounded the Sixers 44-40. ... The Bucks outscored the Sixers on the break 25-8. ... Ford scored 12 points.
Milwaukee Bucks - Philadelphia 76ers Goals Total 1 2 3 OT Shootout
Milwaukee Bucks 88
Philadelphia 76ers 85
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