Jermaine ONeal: Yeah, I really like this team this year, and you're right, one game's just one game. The Bucks come back strong with a win in game 2:
Game #2: Milwaukee Bucks (0-1) @ Golden State Warriors (1-0)
MIL 108, G.S. 107 (O.T.)
Howard Leads the Way- Dominates Down Low, Scores in the Clutch in Bucks’ First Win
OAKLAND, CA- 20,000+ fans in Oakland, California witnessed an electrifying game of NBA basketball last night between the visiting Milwaukee Bucks and hometown Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors got off to a hot start, leading by double digits early in the first quarter. They forced the Bucks to commit 5 turnovers, and held them to just 18 points on less than 30% shooting (8-27). Troy Murphy got off to a great start, scoring 12 points and grabbing 7 rebounds in the period
, and giving young Milwaukee bigman Dwight Howard fits on the low block. After one quarter of play, Golden State led by 10, 28 to 18.
In the second, both teams’ offenses got hot, and stayed hot. Milwaukee scored 32 points while shooting
58.3% as a team, and dished out 10 assists. Golden State couldn’t stop speedy Bucks rookie Nate Robinson from getting into the lane whenever he pleased, and
Robinson mixed it up by hitting 2 consecutive 3 pointers too. With his efforts along with solid play from Howard and starting PG Beno Udrih, the Bucks came back from down 12 points early in the quarter to trail by just 4 at halftime. They might have taken the lead with the way their offense was clicking if not for a 54.5% shooting quarter for the Warriors. They were led by their young talents Jason Richardson, Josh Smith (last season’s Rookie of the Year, acquired from the Hawks for Mike Dunleavy last December), and rookie Ike Diogu.
The third quarter was totally opposite from the second. Both teams made great adjustments at halftime towards stopping each other, and it showed in the form of a rugged, low-scoring duel. Neither club shot as good as
35% 
from the field, which is a bad percentage in the first place, and neither team’s assists total exceeded their turnover total. That was the kind of quarter it was- Golden State could only put up a meager 15 points in it, and Milwaukee dropped 19 on the home team to tie the ballgame at 69 entering the fourth quarter.
Bucks coach Terry Porter quoted that he was upset with his teams’ playcalling and decision making in the stretch of their first game, a 90-84 loss to the Utah Jazz. He wasn’t going to let that happen again. “
This time, we went to our Inside Triangle offensive scheme, trying to get the ball into Dwight as often as we could. Also, at the 7 minute mark I went with the 4 other guys who I felt could compliment Dwight enough to help us get the victory.”
So, for the last 7 minutes of the fourth, Porter went with a lineup of Dan Gadzuric at center, Howard at the 4, Trenton Hassell at the 3, Desmond Mason at shooting guard, and the point guard was Jason Terry. Terry and Mason were struggling with their shot in the game, but Porter went with them anyway for their defense and experience. It still wasn’t easy, though.
With 1:00 left, a tight ballgame was tied at 89-89 when Gadzuric hit a short layup. On the ensuing Warriors possession, Jason Richardson hit a floater in the lane to make it 91-89, Warriors up by 2. The Bucks turned then to Howard. He caught the ball in favorable position in the paint, got free underneath, and threw down a thunderous dunk with 50 seconds left.
His defender, Troy Murphy, showed a lot of poise as he calmly knocked down an 18 footer on the next play, once again putting the Warriors ahead. At that point they led 93-91 with 32 seconds left. Jason Terry brought the ball up and immediately found Howard again, who again delivered with 2 more of his game-high 30 points to tie the game up at 93 with 24.8 seconds left.
Both coaches were biting their nails, clenching their fists, and trying to think happy thoughts as they were consumed by an emotional mixture of anguish, nervousness, excitement, and competitiveness.
The Warriors decided to use the entire 24-second shot clock, so the Bucks would have practically no chance of winning the game in regulation. So they burned up time, then got the ball to Jason Richardson, who was hounded by Jason Terry and Trenton Hassell. With the shot and game clocks running out, Richardson hoisted a medium range 14 foot jumper…
NO GOOD! It rimmed off, and there was going to be free basketball in Oakland-
OVERTIME.
The Warriors used the momentum from their screaming fans to roar out to a 101-95 advantage with 2:30 left. But Milwaukee put the lockdown bolt clamps on them for the next minute and a half, going on a 9-0 run to lead 104-101 with 54.8 seconds remaining. It was at that point that Golden State’s all-star caliber PG Baron Davis connected on a clutch three-pointer to tie that game at 104. Both teams fail to score on their next possessions, and then Jason Terry spited his poor shooting night and swished in a 12-footer with 29.3 seconds left and give his team a 106-104 lead. Davis tried to answer, but his shot was rejected by Gadzuric
, who came down with the ball and was immediately mugged and clobbered. Despite a blind man's career free throw percentage
, he hit both free throws, making it a 4-point lead and critically, a 2-possession game. Davis rained in another three pointer on the next play, but the Bucks inbounded it to Terry who played keep-away from the Warriors and ran out the clock to close out a wild victory.
GAME STATS
MILWAUKEE
Gadzuric: 4 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast, 1-4 FGs
Howard: 30 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast, 14-24 FGs
Mason: 10 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast,
4-15 FGs
Terry: 18 pts, 6 reb, 9 ast, 7-18 FGs
Udrih: 7 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 3-8 FGs
McDyess: 12 pts, 4 reb, 0 ast, 6-9 FGs
Hassell: 2 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, 1-1 FGs
Robinson: 12 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast, 4-9 FGs
Divac: 6 pts, 3 reb, 0 ast, 2-7 FGs
Langdon: 3 pts, 0 reb, 3 ast, 1-3 FGs
Bowen: 4 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 2-4 FGs
TOTALS: 45-102 FGs (44.1%), 13-15 FTs, 45 REB (14 OFF), 31 AST, 11 FL
GOLDEN STATE
Foster: 13 pts, 13 reb, 3 ast, 5-15 FGs
Murphy: 21 pts, 14 reb, 1 ast, 10-19 FGs
Smith: 6 pts, 5 reb, 0 ast, 3-6 FGs
Richardson: 25 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 10-24 FGs
Davis: 15 pts, 0 reb, 15 ast, 5-12 FGs
Diogu: 17 pts, 7 reb, 0 ast, 7-14 FGs
Jackson: 4 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast, 2-10 FGs
White: 2 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 1-3 FGs
Foyle: 2 pts, 5 reb, 0 ast, 1-1 FGs
Biedrins: 2 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 1-1 FGs
TOTALS: 45-105 FGs (42.5%), 12-16 FGs, 48 REB (17 OFF), 24 AST, 13 FL
QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bucks 18 32 19 24 15---108
Warriors 28 26 15 24 14---107
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Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 5-14 (Robinson 2-3, Langdon 1-2, Terry 1-4, Udrih 1-5), Golden State 4-11 (Davis 3-4, Richardson 1-5, Murphy 0-1, Jackson 0-1).
Turnovers: Milwaukee 15, Golden State 15.
Steals: Milwaukee 10 (3 Tied With 2), Golden State 9 (Richardson 3).
Blocks: Milwaukee 11 (Howard 5), Golden State 12 (Murphy 4).
Highlight of the Game
Dwight Howard is a man on a mission this year
BUCKS RECORD: 1-1
How does everyone like these offseason moves? 
Traylor, Robert: #32, 6’8”, 284 pounds, 7 yrs pro, $1,600,000/1 year remaining (INSIDE SCORER)
Dwight Howard worked a lot on his post game this past offseason.
Jason Terry was trying to refine his overall game in the summer.
And here's Desmond Mason trying to fine-tune that "J"
