Milwaukee Bucks Franchise Season 1- Season Wrap-Up

[bullsfan009]

Gracias and merci beaucoup guys, I hope I can turn this around soon or the only thing I'll be participating in after the regular season is the Draft Lottery


GAME 5: Milwaukee Bucks (0-4) @ Utah Jazz (1-1)

UTAH 95, MIL 93
Same Old Result, But Now New Hope- Jason Terry Flashes Immense Potential in First Game


SALT LAKE CITY- The Milwaukee Bucks fell to the Utah Jazz to lose yet again last night, and are still without a win so far this season. In the standings, that is. It looks like they’ve had 2 major wins when it comes to roster moves: the first being Dwight Howard, and the second and newest is the recent acquisition of Jason Terry in the T.J. Ford-Tony Battie trade.
One game is just one game. It’s not necessarily the norm, and it’s not necessarily a trend. But if one game can be any indication of the future, then the Bucks made a great trade with Dallas two days ago. That’s because Jason Terry lit up the Utah Jazz for 28 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds on 61% shooting. In the fourth quarter is when he especially stood out- he went bezerk, scoring 16 points, and hitting 4 three-pointers in the period. For the game, he was 6-10 from downtown.
The Bucks started Terry at the shooting guard position. The starting lineup was rounded out by Dan Gadzuric at center, Dwight Howard at power forward, Desmond Mason at small forward, and Maurice Williams manning the point guard spot. Bucks coach Terry Porter was very interested in seeing what kind of chemistry and effectiveness he would get out of a lineup with Terry, Mason, and Howard, but foul trouble prevented that in the first quarter. Mason was whistled for his second foul with 8:00 left, and Howard had to sit after picking up his 2nd with 4:32 left. To make matters worse, Mason’s sub, Toni Kukoc, also picked up 2 fouls by the end of the first period. In the game, the Bucks were called for 18 total fouls.
This was a tight contest for all 4 quarters, with neither team winning a quarter by more than 1 point. So late in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line, things got interesting. Porter put Jason Terry in at the point guard position, so he could get Desmond Mason and Toni Kukoc in together at the 2 and 3, respectively.
Terry thrived. He scored 16 fourth-quarter points, including 4 three-pointers, and lead the Bucks to their best offensive quarter of the game: 31 points, 52% shooting, 75% from 3, 10 assists, and just 2 turnovers. Defensively, though, Milwaukee had a hard time containing the Jazz. They picked up a lot of careless and “silly” fouls, so many that Utah was shooting free throws the rest of the way with 5:18 left.
The teams went back and forth at each other, scoring left and right. Then it came down to the moment of truth- the final minute of the game. With the Bucks down 89-87 with 43 seconds left, Terry got free in the corner and swished a huge three-pointer. That made it Bucks 90, Jazz 89.
On the next Jazz possession, Andrei Kirilenko eluded Toni Kukoc and netted an 18-foot jumper from the free-throw line-extended. Now the Jazz led again, 91-90, and there were 35 seconds to play. Coach Porter told his team to go 2-for-1, so they would get the last shot of the game. So Toni Kukoc forced a leaner in the lane, which was rejected by Kirilenko and scooped up by Howard Eisley. Kirilenko bolted downcourt, and Eisley hit him with a perfect baseball pass over the Bucks defense. Kirilenko threw down a powerful 2-handed jam, and the Delta Center in Utah went crazy.
Now there were 22 seconds left, and the Bucks were down 3, 93-90. Since Terry had the hot hand, they set him up from downtown. He got free, shoots the shot and…NO GOOD! But wait, Dwight Howard is all over the offensive rebound, and then passes it out. Terry springs free again, and the Bucks find him again. This time, he shoots the 3 and…GOOD! GAME TIED AT 93, WITH 5 SECONDS LEFT!
The Jazz called timeout to advance the ball, and the stadium was rocking in anticipation and suspense. Kirilenko threw the ball in-bounds to Howard Eisley, who somehow was able to collide his defender, Jason Terry, and Toni Kukoc together. Eisley broke free, and drove all the way to the basket for a heartbreaking layup with 0.4 seconds left, too little time to get off a shot. That was the game- the Jazz won 95-93.

GAME NOTES

After the game, Bucks coach Terry Porter addressed the media. “Well, obviously I’m very frustrated at being 0-5 on the season, for a couple of reasons. First of all, we’re much better than our record shows, but for some reason, it’s just not showing in our record. Also, we’ve improved from the start of the season- look the previous few games: our turnovers are down, we’re holding teams in check defensively as far as their shooting percentage is concerned, and we’ve got individuals playing very well. To all the Bucks fans out there, lemme tell you something: this is a very good team. Just have patience, and you’ll see why.”

GAME STATS

MILWAUKEE
Gadzuric: 2 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast, 1-8 FGs
Howard: 15 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast, 7-15 FGs
Mason: 14 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast, 6-12 FGs
Terry: 28 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast, 11-18 FGs
Williams: 4 pts, 0 reb, 3 ast, 2-7 FGs
Kukoc: 15 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 6-12 FGs
Strickland: 2 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast, 1-6 FGs
Childs: 4 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 2-4 FGs
Fizer: 5 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 2-5 FGs
Booth: 0 pts, 4 reb, 0 ast, 0-4 FGs
Henderson: 2 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 1-4 FGs
Pachulia: 2 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 1-1 FGs
TOTALS: 40-96 FGs (41.7%), 4-5 FTs, 40 REB (7 OFF), 24 AST, 18 FL

UTAH
Okur: 19 pts, 20 reb, 2 ast, 7-14 FGs
Boozer: 11 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast, 4-17 FGs
Kirilenko: 24 pts, 9 reb, 0 ast, 10-17 FGs
Bell: 9 pts, 3 reb, 0 ast, 4-11 FGs
Eisley: 7 pts, 2 reb, 12 ast, 2-11 FGs
Harpring: 5 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 2-6 FGs
Lopez: 4 pts, 0 reb, 2 ast, 2-4 FGs
Giricek: 6 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast, 3-9 FGs
Humphries: 2 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 1-2 FGs
Collins: 8 pts, 5 reb, 0 ast, 3-7 FGs
TOTALS: 38-98 FGs (38.8%), 17-23 FTs, 53 REB (18 OFF), 21 AST, 13 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bucks 22 19 21 31---93
Jazz 23 19 22 31---95
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 9-17 (Terry 6-10, Kukoc 3-4, Williams 0-1, Childs 0-2), Utah 2-11 (Bell 1-3, Eisley 1-6, Harpring 0-1, Giricek 0-1). Turnovers: Milwaukee 11, Utah 8. Steals: Milwaukee 3 (3 Tied With 1), Utah 6 (Bell 3). Blocks: Milwaukee 10 (Booth 3), Utah 15 (Boozer 5).

Highlight of the Day
Jason Terry hits a clutch 3 From the Corner

BUCKS RECORD: 0-5

-have a good extended weekend everybody (Memorial Day over here)

[Diogo]

Hope the Bucks change their bad situation in the next games...
BTW... IMO this team needs some good defensive players...

[COOLmac©]

wow the first game of Terry was superb. that was a great trade. dont worry on the current losing streak, good things is surely coming your way. not many times you can falter at the 4th period eh? a little bit more patience will do

[bullsfan009]

Thanks guys, and yeah, I definitely need to upgrade my defense. My weak point has been Toni Kukoc, actually. He's been getting burned in the fourth quarters by whoever he's guarding.


Game 6: Milwaukee Bucks (0-5) @ Charlotte Bobcats (1-0)

MIL 116, CHA 107 (2 O.T.)
Refuse to Lose- In Dramatic Fashion, Bucks Finally Get First Win


CHARLOTTE- In their sixth game of this young NBA season, the Milwaukee Bucks finally got their first win, coming over the expansion Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats didn’t look like an expansion franchise at all, though, making the Bucks sweat and work for four quarters and two overtimes before prevailing.
Simply put, the first quarter was a scoring contest. Both teams played very efficient offensively, and it showed in their statistics. The Bucks scored 25 points on 50% shooting (11-22), made their only three-point attempt, and handed out 11 assists versus just 2 turnovers. Jason Terry’s second game with the Bucks after the trade from Dallas started off great, too- he hit all 4 of his shots and scored 9 points in the opening period. For the Bobcats, point guard Brevin Knight, not known as a scorer, came out firing with 7 points while still dishing out 5 assists. As a team, Charlotte had 23 points, also shot 50% from the field (10-20), and didn’t turn the ball over once.
As good as the offenses were in the first quarter, they were that bad in the 2nd. Defense was the key in this period, as each team was held below 35% shooting. Desmond Mason of the Bucks, normally an excellent scorer, was especially shut down. He committed most of his game-high 7 turnovers while facing some tough “D” from Gerald Wallace and Jason Kapono. Charlotte had 7 steals, 5 blocks, and forced the Bucks into committing 7 turnovers in the second quarter alone. They led 39-38 at the half.
The teams picked their offenses back up again after halftime. In the third quarter, Jason Terry got hot, going 4-6, and Gerald Wallace converted 5 field-goals to lead Charlotte. What stood out about the 3rd was the Bobcats’ complete dominance on the boards- they outrebounded Milwaukee 14-to-5. This helped them hold a slim 64-60 margin going into the final quarter.
It was events of the fourth quarter-on that turned this game from a good match to an instant classic. Bucks coach Terry Porter told his team, “I said to the guys, ‘Now is the time. Let’s get this first win now, not later. Want it, and play like you want it.”
The Bucks did just that. Rookie sensation Dwight Howard went crazy in the fourth, scoring 14 points, grabbing 3 rebounds, and dishing out an impressive 3 assists. He was taking it right at Emeka Okafor, the player selected #2 overall after him in the draft. Howard’s efforts were only enough to keep the game close, though, and as has been the trend for Milwaukee this season, the game went down to the wire.
With time running down on the shot clock, Gerald Wallace hit a gigantic three-pointer from the right wing to put his team ahead 86-82. It was a two-possession game, and there was only 13 seconds left in regulation. This would have been an easy time for the Bucks to fold, but they didn’t. Jason Terry sprinted down the court, stopped on a dime at the three point line at the top of the key, raised up and swished in the 3.
Now Charlotte led by just 1, 86-85. The Bucks had to foul, so they hacked Brevin Knight with 7.7 seconds left. Knight calmly sank both clutch free throws to put them up 3 points, and it was apparent that the Bucks would need to try to send the game into overtime with another three. So they called timeout to advance the ball to mid-court, and threw it to their new main-man, Jason Terry. Terry ran to the same spot as his previous shot, fires, and…SWISH! Same result. The game was now tied at 88-88 with 4 seconds left! Knight missed a long three at the buzzer, and there was going to be free basketball in Charlotte- overtime!
Coach (Terry) Porter commented on the end of regulation, “Well, as I always say, you can never have too many guys named Terry in your organization …Just kidding- Jason did a great job hitting the big shots, and our guys got the big stop at the end to extend the game into O.T. and give us a chance to win.”
In the first overtime, Milwaukee pulled out to a three-point lead with 30 seconds left when Wallace hit another gigantic 3-pointer to tie the game 99-99. The Bucks passed it around on their next possession, trying to get a good shot, but nobody could get free. Finally, Toni Kukoc bailed everyone out with a heavily-contested 10-foot jumper that found the bottom of the net. Once again, the Bucks led, this time with 12 seconds to play. But once again, the Bobcats got a huge shot from someone. As time expired, recently signed free agent Michael Curry hit a mid-range jumper from the right elbow, forcing yet another overtime.
“That was a tough shot for us to swallow,” Bucks forward Dwight Howard remarked. “We thought we had the game, but Curry was obviously thinking otherwise.”
The second overtime displayed the heart of the Bucks: the Bobcats started to wear down and tire, but Milwaukee got stronger. They put together an 11-0 run, swarming Charlotte defensively, and going to the basket with authority. Desmond Mason rebounded from his tough shooting night to get 2 important baskets, including one sweet left-handed tomahawk dunk on a breakaway.
And the Milwaukee Bucks rebounded from a very tough opening 5 games to get their first win of the season, by a margin of 116-107.

GAME NOTES
The Bucks used 5 and only 5 guys for the entire fourth quarter and both overtimes, a lineup of Gadzuric at center, Howard at the 4, Kukoc at the 3, Mason at the 2, and Terry at the 1. Terry played the first 3 quarters at the 2, but lived up to his label of “combo guard” by playing with the same effectiveness no matter what position he’s at.

GAME STATS

MILWAUKEE
Gadzuric: 6 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast, 2-5 FGs
Howard: 26 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast, 12-19 FGs
Mason: 20 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 7-21 FGs
Terry: 34 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast, 14-25 FGs
Williams: 1 pt, 2 reb, 9 ast, 0-4 FGs
Kukoc: 23 pts, 1 reb, 5 ast, 8-15 FGs
Strickland: 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1-5 FGs
Childs: 2 pts, 0 reb, 3 ast, 1-3 FGs
Fizer: 2 pts, 5 reb, 0 ast, 1-3 FGs
Booth: 0 pts, 3 reb, 0 ast, 0-1 FGs
Henderson: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs
TOTALS: 46-101 FGs (45.5%), 20-23 FTs, 46 REB (13 OFF), 36 AST , 13 FL

CHARLOTTE
Brezec: 28 pts, 13 reb, 5 ast, 13-23 FGs
Okafor: 19 pts, 11 reb, 0 ast, 9-23 FGs
Wallace: 27 pts, 9 reb, 1 ast, 12-23 FGs
Curry: 4 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 2-11 FGs
Knight: 17 pts, 2 reb, 9 ast, 7-16 FGs
Bogans: 8 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 4-12 FGs
Allen: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs
Kapono: 2 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 1-6 FGs
Rush: 2 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 1-1 FGs
Ely: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs
TOTALS: 49-115 FGs (42.6%), 6-11 FTs, 45 REB (18 OFF), 19 AST, 17 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bucks 25 13 22 28 13 15---93
Bobcats 23 16 25 24 13 6---95
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 4-12 (Terry 4-8, Childs 0-1, Kukoc 0-3), Charlotte 3-10 (Wallace 3-7, Knight 0-1, Bogans 0-1, Kapono 0-1). Turnovers: Milwaukee 16, Charlotte 11. Steals: Milwaukee 9 (Howard 3), Charlotte 10 (Knight 3, Kapono 3). Blocks: Milwaukee 17 (Howard 5), Charlotte 13 (Okafor 3, Kapono 3).

Highlight of the Day
The future of the Bucks on display: Terry finds Dwight Howard for the jam
BUCKS RECORD: 1-5

[alexboom]

I loove the way you write your recaps Your score are realistic, and the fact that you're not dominating in the league makes your franchise even more interesting to follow Congrats and give us more!

[bullsfan009]

Thanks Alex, and here's another update:

NEWEST LEAGUE NEWS/TRANSACTIONS

11/10/99.....The 76ers waive Kevin Ollie.

11/10/99.....The 76ers have signed free agent Bryce Drew for $349,458 over 1 year.

11/12/99.....Free agent John Wallace signs with the Hornets for $349,458 over 1 year.

11/14/99.....Dan Gadzuric walks away with the Player of the Week award ( how did this happen? For the week, he only averaged 4 ppg and 8.5 rpg!?! ), while Dwight Howard wins the Rookie of the Week award.

11/14/99.....The Hornets have signed Mark Jones as a free agent for 1 year at $349,458.

11/21/99.....Dirk Nowitzki recieves the Player of the Week award while the Rookie of the Week award goes to Tony Allen.

11/28/99.....The Player of the Week award goes to Ron Artest, while Tony Allen wins Rookie of the Week honors.

11/30/99.....Rasheed Wallace recieves the Player of the Month award while the Rookie of the Month award goes to Tony Allen.

[bullsfan009]

LEAGUE STANDINGS AS OF 12/4/99

EASTERN CONFERENCE
CHI.....4-0
NJN.....4-0
DET.....6-2
BOS.....7-3
ORL.....2-1
MIA.....3-2
PHI.....2-2
NYN.....3-3
CLE.....2-3
ATL.....2-4
CHA.....2-4
WAS.....2-4
TOR.....1-4
IND.....1-5
MIL.....1-5

WESTERN CONFERENCE
SAS.....5-1
LAC.....3-1
SAC.....2-1
UTJ.....3-2
MIN.....4-3
DEN.....1-1
HOU.....1-1
MEM.....2-2
PHO.....2-2
DAL.....3-3
NOH.....3-3
SEA.....3-4
LAL.....2-4
POR.....3-6
GSW.....0-3


LEAGUE LEADERS

POINTS PER GAME
Vince Carter (NJN)........30.0 ppg
Kevin Garnett (MIN).....29.0 ppg
Kobe Bryant (LAL)........26.8 ppg
Jason Terry (MIL)......26.7 ppg
Allen Iverson (PHI)......25.8 ppg

REBOUNDS PER GAME
Ben Wallace (DET)......14.6 rpg
Kevin Garnett (MIN)...14.3 rpg
Adonal Foyle (GSW)...13.3 rpg
Tim Duncan (SAS)......13.0 rpg

ASSISTS PER GAME
Steve Nash (PHO).....10.5 apg
Mike Bibby (SAC).......10.3 apg
Jason Kidd (NJN).......10.0 apg

[bullsfan009]

GAME 7: Cleveland Cavaliers (2-3) @ Milwaukee Bucks (1-5)

MIL 93, CLE 89
Bucks Contain Cavaliers- Solid Defense, Bench Scoring Keys to Victory

MILWAUKEE- LeBron James, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Jeff McInnis showed up last night to play the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley center. Technically the entire Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team played in the game, but looking at the box score, it appeared that only those three “showed up.” James, one of the best players in the league despite this being just his second season out of high school, scored 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Ilgauskas, a 7-foot-3-inch All-Star center from Lithuania, had 30 points and 14 rebounds. And veteran point guard McInnis, who played college at North Carolina, racked up 14 points and 7 assists. These 3 players combined to score 87% of their teams’ points, grab 53% of the rebounds, and distribute 64% of the assists.
Cavs coach Paul Silas later commented, “LB, Z and Jeff can’t do everything. We need other guys to step up- I mean, at least two more guys in every game. But even then you can’t assume, and certainly can’t expect, that those three are going to perform like they did tonight every night. If I remember correctly, our bench was outscored 33-7 in the game. You can’t win like that.”
And they didn’t. The Bucks played solid ball all game. The only time when they were really threatened by the Cavs was in the third quarter, when Cleveland tried to take control. They held Milwaukee’s offense to scoring just 10 points until there was about 3:00 left in the quarter. That’s when the Bucks responded in a big way, going on a 9-0 run. Jason Terry went on a 7-0 run all by himself. The final play of the period put an exclamation point on the Bucks revival: With about 2 seconds to go, Dwight Howard launched a 70-foot football pass to Desmond Mason, who caught the ball, stepped up, and nailed a long three-pointer at the buzzer.
The Bucks led 69-67 entering the final quarter, and were able to maintain their led down the stretch to win the game. When Cleveland started fouling to try to make up points quicker, the Bucks hit 10 of their 11 free throws. “We weren’t going to let this one get away from us,” Bucks coach Terry Porter stated.

GAME NOTES
The unlikely hero of the game was backup center Calvin Booth. Booth came in to replace Dan Gadzuric, the starter who was getting schooled by Ilgauskas, late in the first quarter. By halftime, he had 12 points and 6 rebounds, both season-highs totals. He finished the game with 14 points and 11 rebounds: a double-double in only 23 minutes of action.

Toni Kukoc had a game to forget: 1-12 shooting, including 0-7 in the fourth quarter. “For some reason, I was no good today,” he said. “I gotta make it up in the next game.”


GAME STATS

MILWAUKEE
Gadzuric: 2 pts, 7 reb, 0 ast, 1-5 FGs
Howard: 10 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast, 3-11 FGs
Mason: 19 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 8-17 FGs
Terry: 22 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast, 8-15 FGs
Williams: 7 pts, 0 reb, 2 ast, 3-8 FGs
Kukoc: 4 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 1-12 FGs
Strickland: 4 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 2-3 FGs
Childs: 8 pts, 0 reb, 3 ast, 4-9 FGs
Fizer: 0 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 0-3 FGs
Booth: 14 pts, 11 reb, 0 ast, 6-9 FGs
Henderson: 3 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 1-3 FGs
Pachulia: 0 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs
TOTALS: 37-95 FGs (38.9% ), 16-17 FTs, 46 REB (16 OFF), 19 AST, 14 FL

CLEVELAND
Ilgauskas: 30 pts, 14 reb, 0 ast, 14-27 FGs
Gooden: 2 pts, 10 reb, 0 ast, 1-8 FGs
James: 33 pts, 11 reb, 2 ast, 15-26 FGs
Newble: 3 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 1-7 FGs
McInnis: 14 pts, 2 reb, 7 ast, 5-16 FGs
Welsch: 5 pts, 3 reb, 0 ast, 2-3 FGs
Traylor: 2 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast, 1-6 FGs
Snow: 0 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 0-0 FGs
Harris: 0 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 0-5 FGs
Diop: 0 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs
TOTALS: 39-98 FGs (39.8% ), 9-13 FTs, 51 REB (21 OFF), 14 AST, 12 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cavaliers 23 21 23 22---93
Bucks 26 19 24 24---89
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 3-13 (Mason 1-1, Williams 1-2, Terry 1-4, Fizer 0-1, Childs 0-2, Kukoc 0-3), Cleveland 2-11 (Welsch 1-1, James 1-2, Harris 0-1, McInnis 0-7). Turnovers: Milwaukee 11, Cleveland 11. Steals: Milwaukee 9 (Mason 3, Terry 3), Cleveland 10 (Knight 3, Kapono 3). Blocks: Milwaukee 10 (Kukoc 3), Cleveland 10 (Gooden 5).

Highlight of the Day
Desmond Mason hits the 3 to end the 3rd quarter.

BUCKS RECORD: 2-5

[bullsfan009]

I've been having problems getting my animated gif highlights from the computer with Live 2000 on it to the computer with internet. Bad floppy disks, I guess. Anyway I'm going to try to put them on a CD, and I should have them up soon.

[COOLmac©]

you should get them in a cd. floppies nowadays aint that reliable...2 games at a row...your on a roll now...i really miss the news section we have in 2000..since in 2005 my news section is usually empty keep up the good work

[bullsfan009]

Yeah I know- I used to have like 10 working floppies now I'm down to 2... I need to just get one CD-RW and my problems will be solved...


NEWEST LEAGUE NEWS/TRANSACTIONS

12/5/99.....The Nets have signed Shawn Kemp as a free agent for 1 year at $349,458.

12/7/99.....The Warriors trade Michael Dunleavy (13.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.3 apg) for Josh Smith (19.0 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 2.4 apg, 3.4 bpg) of the Hawks.
(:shock: what a deal for the Warriors- look at their core now: Baron Davis - Jason Richardson - Josh Smith - Troy Murphy!!! I think this team is going to be a powerhouse in a few years of this franchise )

12/9/99.....Anthony Goldwire has been waived by the Bucks.

12/9/99.....Free agent Keon Clark signs with the Bucks for $349,458 over 1 year.


(see Picture Roster above for Clark profile & updated salary situation)

[COOLmac©]

also the nest have the reignman
cool trade and transactions for the cpu though.....even cooler than the 2005 transactions... 2000 is the best

[bullsfan009]

GAME 8: Milwaukee Bucks (2-5) @ Golden State Warriors (1-3)

G.S. 81, MIL 78
Warriors Win Defensive Battle- “Hustle” Stats Go To Golden State: Free Throws, Rebounds

OAKLAND- The Golden State Warriors’ trade earlier this week sending Mike Dunleavy to the Atlanta Hawks for rookie Josh Smith apparently has given them a new defensive edge, as well as a new swagger. They took it to the Milwaukee Bucks last night defensively, holding them to a season-low 78 points, and won their second consecutive game to improve their record to 2-3. Smith in particular was everywhere, and especially early on. He had 9 rebounds in the first quarter alone, and 6 points on 3 amazing highlight-reel quality dunks.
Milwaukee proved to be no slouch on “D” either- Jason Terry absolutely shut down the normally high-scoring duo of Jason Richardson and Troy Murphy. Richardson missed his first 13 shots, didn’t hit a basket until 5 minutes remained in the third quarter, and overall scored just 6 points on 3-19 (16%) shooting. Murphy was stifled by Bucks rookie Dwight Howard to score only 7 points and shoot a nightmarish 3-21 (14%) from the field.
How did the Warriors win this one, then? They did all the little things that make a big difference in a basketball game. Golden State absolutely dominated the boards all night long, grabbing 61 rebounds to Milwaukee’s 45. Their 24 offensive rebounds was the most given up all season by the Bucks, and the 24th offensive rebound was the one that hurt the most: Troy Murphy’s missed 3-pointer was hauled in by Warriors’ center Adonal Foyle, who laid the ball back in to give his squad a 3-point cushion with only seconds remaining in the game.
The other major stat that explained the final score was the disparity in free throw attempts between the teams. In a very physical game, with a combined 40 blocks and steals, the Bucks only shot 2 free throws IN THE ENTIRE GAME. Bucks coach Terry Porter commented on in the post-game press conference, “I couldn’t believe that we only shot 2 free throws in the game. I’ve never seen or even heard of anything like that, and when you take into account the physical, competitive nature of this particular game, and it really makes you scratch your head. I’m not one to blame the referees, and the Golden State defense was terrific tonight- you have to give them credit. No matter what the reason for it, it’s just very hard to win shooting only 2 free throws.”

GAME NOTES
The Bucks’ recent roster move of releasing seldom-used point guard Anthony Goldwire and signing free agent Keon Clark looks promising. If they want to keep Clark, he’s a good rebounder, and is very athletic and agile for his size. If not, they can get him some minutes to allow other teams to guage their interest in him. Against Golden State, Clark scored 2 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and had 1 block and 1 steal in 7 minutes of action.

GAME STATS

MILWAUKEE
Gadzuric: 6 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 3-4 FGs
Howard: 14 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast, 7-17 FGs
Mason: 19 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast, 9-18 FGs
Terry: 18 pts, 5 reb, 10 ast, 9-19 FGs
Williams: 2 pts, 0 reb, 4 ast, 1-6 FGs
Kukoc: 6 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 3-9 FGs
Clark: 2 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1-6 FGs
Strickland: 0 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 0-3 FGs
Childs: 6 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 2-3 FGs
Fizer: 2 pts, 3 reb, 0 ast, 1-5 FGs
Booth: 3 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast, 1-2 FGs
Henderson: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs
TOTALS: 37-92 FGs (40.2%), 1-2 FTs, 45 REB (7 OFF), 24 AST, 15 FL

GOLDEN STATE
Foyle: 7 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 3-5 FGs
Murphy: 7 pts, 15 reb, 3 ast, 3-21 FGs
Smith: 15 pts, 15 reb, 2 ast, 6-14 FGs
Richardson: 6 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 3-19 FGs
Davis: 14 pts, 1 reb, 5 ast, 5-12 FGs
Fisher: 9 pts, 0 reb, 3 ast, 3-7 FGs
Pietrus: 10 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 5-14 FGs
Biedrins: 2 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 1-3 FGs
Cabarkapa: 8 pts, 9 reb, 0 ast, 3-5 FGs
Tskitishvili: 3 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 1-2 FGs
TOTALS: 33-102 FGs (32.4% ), 12-16 FTs, 61 REB (24 OFF), 18 AST, 8 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bucks 19 17 22 20---78
Warriors 20 26 13 22---81
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 3-9 (Childs 2-3, Mason 1-1, Howard 0-1, Kukoc 0-1, Terry 0-3), Golden State 3-11 (Davis 2-4, Fisher 1-3, Murphy 0-1, Richardson 0-1, Pietrus 0-2). Turnovers: Milwaukee 15, Golden State 12. Steals: Milwaukee 8 (Howard 2, Kukoc 2), Golden State 10 (4 Tied With 2). Blocks: Milwaukee 11 (Gadzuric 3, Terry 3), Golden State 11 (Biedrins 4).

Highlight of the Day
Desmond Mason knows how to finish.

BUCKS RECORD: 2-6

[bullsfan009]

Game 9: Milwaukee Bucks (2-6) @ Memphis Grizzlies (3-2)

MIL 114, MEM 96
Finishing Strong- Bucks Run Grizzlies Out of the Building in Fourth Quarter


OAKLAND- One game after the Bucks lost a low-scoring, highly physical defensive battle to the Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee’s offense game out in high gear versus the Memphis Grizzlies. The Bucks decided to try to run and play an up-tempo style against the Grizzlies, and proceeded to score 114 points and win by a season-high margin of 18 points.
Bucks coach Terry Porter commented on the game plan. “We thought that the Grizzlies were going to be vulnerable in a fast-paced offensive game because Jason Williams was out. Our Williams, Maurice was able to take advantage and had his best game of the year so far.” Jason Williams, Memphis’s starting point guard, sat out the game with a stress fracture in his foot injury. He’s a high-energy, run-and-gun player, and as Porter described, it allowed the Bucks’s point guard Maurice Williams to go for 15 points and 12 assists in the game.
The Grizzlies were able to keep up for awhile, though. Shooting guard Mike Miller had a terrific game, shooting the ball with extreme confidence all night long. He used his 7-inch height advantage over his defender Jason Terry to sink 15 of his 25 shots, and score a game-high 33 points. As a team, Memphis found themselves down just 3 points heading into the fourth quarter, as the Bucks led 80-77.
It was in the final period, however, that Milwaukee turned it up to another level. While playing solid defense, holding the Grizzlies to 19 points on 35% shooting, the Bucks went crazy on offense. They scored 34 points in the quarter, shooting 56%, and handed out 11 assists. Terry played particularly well, scoring 9 points while garnering 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal.
Grizzlies coach Mike Fratello said afterwards, “We played well for three quarters tonight, then the game turned from a close game to a blowout in the fourth. We missed Jason tonight, that was obvious. The run-and-gun style is what he thrives in.”
So did the Bucks, in this game. They improved their record to 3-6, and have won 3 of their last 4 games after their humbling 0-5 start.

GAME NOTES
Seldom-used third-string point guard Antonio Burks started the game for Memphis, and overall played very well. He finished with 8 points and 10 assists.

GAME STATS

MILWAUKEE
Gadzuric: 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1-3 FGs
Howard: 8 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast, 3-8 FGs
Mason: 16 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast, 6-11 FGs
Terry: 30 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast, 14-24 FGs
Williams: 15 pts, 1 reb, 12 ast, 6-12 FGs
Kukoc: 10 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 4-12 FGs
Clark: 4 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 2-2 FGs
Strickland: 8 pts, 0 reb, 2 ast, 4-7 FGs
Childs: 11 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast, 5-6 FGs
Fizer: 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1-2 FGs
Booth: 8 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 3-6 FGs
TOTALS: 43-93 FGs (46.2%), 13-14 FTs, 38 REB (4 OFF), 33 AST, 6 FL

MEMPHIS
Wright: 6 pts, 9 reb, 1 ast, 3-9 FGs
Gasol: 17 pts, 10 reb, 4 ast, 8-20 FGs
Battier: 21 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 9-19 FGs
Miller: 33 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 15-25 FGs
Burks: 8 pts, 0 reb, 10 ast, 4-7 FGs
Posey: 2 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1-7 FGs
Wells: 3 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 1-2 FGs
Cardinal: 4 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 2-4 FGs
Watson: 2 pts, 0 reb, 5 ast, 1-2 FGs
Swift: 0 pts, 4 reb, 0 ast, 0-2 FGs
TOTALS: 44-97 FGs (45.4%), 6-8 FTs, 41 REB (11 OFF), 26 AST, 9 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bucks 21 29 30 34---114
Grizzlies 22 26 29 19---96
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 3-12 (Childs 1-1, Williams 1-3, Terry 1-7, Kukoc 0-1), Memphis 2-10 (Battier 1-3, Miller 1-5, Posey 0-2). Turnovers: Milwaukee 9, Memphis 11. Steals: Milwaukee 8 (Terry 2), Memphis 5 (Battier 2, Miller 2). Blocks: Milwaukee 8 (Howard 5), Memphis 9 (3 With 2).

Highlight of the Day
Dwight Howard to Keon Clark, who shows his unique athleticism.

BUCKS RECORD: 3-6

[bullsfan009]

GAME 10: Orlando Magic (6-1) @ Milwaukee Bucks (3-6)

MIL 115, ORL 113 (O.T.)
Milwaukee Miracle


MILWAUKEE- Those on hand for last night’s Bucks-Magic game at the Bradley Center in downtown Milwaukee witnessed perhaps the greatest finish of any game in Bucks history. It was also Michael Redd’s first return to the arena since his trade before the season for Dwight Howard. Joe Smith, who was also involved in that deal, started for Orlando as well and played very well.
On to the game. After leading by just 1 point after a close first half, the Orlando Magic dominated the third quarter. They outscored the Bucks 27-17 to take an 11 point lead, and were led by All-Star Grant Hill’s 5-7 shooting performance. Hill had 24 points going into the fourth quarter, which was 24 more than the Bucks’ leading scorer on the season, Jason Terry. Terry had been quiet in the game thus far- scoreless on 0-1 field-goal shooting. Redd was guarding him like a hawk, and denying him everything from getting shots off to even getting the ball.
In the huddle before the start of the third quarter, Bucks coach Terry Porter called out Jason Terry: “I told him, you’ve been our leader all season long- start acting like it.” Terry just nodded his head. He knew what to do.
Terry absolutely exploded in the fourth quarter. He scored early and often, determined to get his team the win and to redeem himself in the process. He took Michael Redd off the dribble, fired jumpers off of screens, and managed to get open behind the arc and nail threes. His point total seemed like it was multiplying in the box score, yet his team still couldn’t quite catch the Magic. Grant Hill was literally hitting everything, Redd sunk a few shots, as did Steve Francis.
So with 20 seconds remaining in the ballgame, the score was 99-94, Milwaukee trailing by 5. The Bucks found Jason Terry behind the three-point line, and he hit the shot to close the gap to 2 points, 99-97. The Bucks fouled immediately, sending Steve Francis to the free throw line. Francis missed the first, and…missed the second! This was the Bucks' golden chance, but wait, Joe Smith grabbed the offensive rebound off of Francis’s missed free throw! The Bucks fouled him immediately, and the home crowd got very silent. It was a back-breaker, most thought. That was their chance right there, but it slipped out of their fingertips.
But that was not the end. Smith stepped up to the line, an 85% FT shooter so far this season- but he splits them, missing the first shot, and hitting the second. The Magic now led 100-97. The Bucks called a timeout to advance the ball to mid-court, then gave it to Terry again. Terry saw the opportunity to score a quick 2-pointer, and took it. He beat Redd to the hole, hit a short "J," and cut the Magic lead to 100-99 with 11.5 seconds left.
The Bucks had to foul again, and fortunately were able to get Steve Francis, who had been struggling at the line and who had missed his previous two attempts. Francis hit the first, and missed the second! BUT AGAIN, the Magic get the offensive rebound! Magic center Kelvin Cato out-muscled everyone else to the board, grabbed it in mid-air, came down, and before the Bucks could foul him, Cato threw down a monster 2-handed jam! Now it was a 2-possession game again, 103-99, with just 9.4 seconds left in the game.
Now the Bucks crowd, as well as bench and coaching staff, was really frustrated. For the second time in a row, their team coughed up an offensive rebound on a free throw! Coach Porter said afterwards, “I was trying to stay calm on the outside, but inside I felt like a grizzly bear that just tried to eat a porcupine.”
Once again, the Bucks didn’t give up, though. They used another timeout, and surprise, surprise, found Jason Terry with the inbounds pass. He raced to the three point line at the top of the key, and high-arched a three pointer over the outstretched arms of Redd…SWISH! Terry was simply unconscious- he was in the “zone.”
Milwaukee fouled Francis a third time, now with 6.2 seconds left and trailing by 1 point, 103-102. This time Francis hit both of his attempts. So with 6.2 seconds left in the game, the Bucks used their final timeout, trailing by three points, 105-102. It was now-or-never time. Everybody in the building knew that Jason Terry was going to get the ball, and sure enough, Toni Kukoc used his excellent vision and passing abilities to make it happen. Terry ran to that favorite spot of his, the top of the key behind the three point line, and with extreme confidence and absolutely no hesitation, fired the desperation three-pointer over the defense.
The entire Bradley Center crowd held their collective breaths while the ball floated through the air. When it went in with a definitive SWISH! there was sheer pandemonium in Milwaukee. 20,000 pairs of arms shot up toward the roof, and the roar of the crowd was deafening, although some fans stood in a sort of shocked silence of disbelief. In less than 20 seconds in game-time, Terry had scored 11 points, including 3 HUGE 3-pointers, and the score was now tied at 105-105!
The Magic still had one chance to win the game- there were 3.4 seconds left on the game clock. But it obviously wasn’t meant to be: Michael Redd was trapped 40 feet away from the basket, and missed his heave at the buzzer. After all of that, we were going into overtime! The crowd had new life- they were hooting and hollering and cheering and chanting all over the place. They had just witnessed an unthinkable, unimaginable series of events- perhaps the best in the history of Milwaukee Bucks basketball. Jason Terry, scoreless in the first 3 quarters, scored 27 points in the fourth quarter alone on 10-15 shooting, including 5-8 from 3-point range.
He nailed another 3 in overtime and hit 3 free throws to give him 33 for the night. The overtime period was understandably much less eventful than the ending of the fourth quarter, but the Bucks still pulled it out. Both teams shot just 3-8 from the field, but the Magic turned the ball over twice, and that was the difference. All in all, it was a simply remarkable 115-113 overtime victory for the Bucks.

GAME NOTES
Newly signed free agent Keon Clark was great in just his 3rd game with the Bucks. He scored 22 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and blocked a shot in 25 minutes. He’s starting to get interest from other teams around the league for his athleticism and scoring and rebounding ability off the bench.

Michael Redd was given a warm welcome by the fans. He was loved in Milwaukee, rising from a mid-second round draft pick to All-Star status in 3 years. “I’m glad they still appreciate me, and I still love the city and these fans. Unfortunately, this is a business and I couldn’t stay, but I enjoyed my time here.”

GAME STATS
Gadzuric: 0 pts, 4 reb, 0 ast, 0-1 FGs
Howard: 12 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast, 5-10 FGs
Mason: 15 pts, 2 reb, 5 ast, 6-8 FGs
Terry: 33 pts, 4 reb, 8 ast, 11-17 FGs
Williams: 2 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast, 1-4 FGs
Kukoc: 7 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast, 3-13 FGs
Clark: 22 pts, 7 reb, 0 ast, 11-20 FGs
Strickland: 6 pts, 6 reb, 0 ast, 3-7 FGs
Childs: 13 pts, 0 reb, 2 ast, 5-12 FGs
Fizer: 2 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1-2 FGs
Booth: 3 pts, 3 reb, 0 ast, 1-3 FGs
TOTALS: 47-97 FGs (48.5%), 12-15 FTs, 45 REB (10 OFF), 25 AST, 16 FL

ORLANDO
Cato: 5 pts, 11 reb, 0 ast, 2-2 FGs
Smith: 17 pts, 12 reb, 3 ast, 7-15 FGs
Hill: 34 pts, 5 reb, 0 ast, 16-21 FGs
Redd: 18 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 9-27 FGs
Francis: 22 pts, 0 reb, 15 ast, 7-15 FGs
Christie: 6 pts, 0 reb, 3 ast, 2-4 FGs
Turkoglu: 2 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 1-3 FGs
Garrity: 8 pts, 6 reb, 0 ast, 4-8 FGs
Augmon: 0 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 0-1 FGs
DeClercq: 0 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 0-1 FGs
TOTALS: 48-97 FGs (49.5%), 13-20 FTs, 45 REB (10 OFF), 25 AST, 13 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Magic 29 21 27 28 8---113
Bucks 26 23 17 39 10---115
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 9-22 (Terry 6-9, Childs 3-7, Williams 0-1, Strickland 0-1, Kukoc 0-4), Orlando 4-14 (Christie 2-3, Francis 1-4, Redd 1-6, Turkoglu 0-1). Turnovers: Milwaukee 16, Orlando 12. Steals: Milwaukee 9 (Terry 5), Orlando 14 (Turkoglu 4). Blocks: Milwaukee 5 (Howard 3), Orlando 7 (Cato 4).

Highlight of the Day
Maurice Williams makes a nice pass to Marcus Fizer, who stuffs it.

BUCKS RECORD: 4-6

[bullsfan009]

NEWEST LEAGUE TRANSACTIONS/NEWS

12/12/99.....Gary Payton walks away with the Player of the Week award while Josh Smith wins Rookie of the Week honors.

12/12/99.....Ben Handlogten has been released by the Utah Jazz.

12/12/99.....The Jazz have signed free agent Trajan Langdon for $349,458 over 1 year.

12/19/99.....The Player of the Week award goes to Kevin Garnett, while Chris Duhon wins the Rookie of the Week award.

12/26/99.....Samuel Dalembert is the Player of the Week, while Andre Iguodala wins Rookie of the Week honors.

12/31/99.....The Player of the Month is Steve Francis, and Andre Iguodala is the Rookie of the Month.

1/2/00.....The Player of the Week is Steve Francis, while Josh Smith wins the Rookie of the Week award.

1/2/00.....The New Orleans Hornets trade George Lynch to the Denver Nuggets for Edwardo Najera.

[Diogo]

Looks like Jason Terry becomes the answer for the Bucks

[COOLmac©]

wow looks like terry's averaging 30+ in your wins very nice

[bullsfan009]

Terry's doing great, yes, but I don't want him to be scoring this much in the future. When Dwight Howard develops in a season or two, it's going to be him dominating the games, and Terry will be a compliment. But for now, I'll take all I can get from Terry. He's been really suprising me so far too...

[bullsfan009]

GM NOTES

Mr. Middleman, Bucks General Manager: "Right now were disappointed with our win-loss record, but still very optimistic about the future. Jason Terry has been a pleasant suprise, and even though T. J. Ford is doing very well in Dallas, we think that we got the better of that trade with the Mavericks.

Dwight Howard has been everything we'd hoped so far, averaging about 12 pts and 10 boards straight out of high school. He's without a doubt the future face of the franchise for a long, long time.

As far as roster moves, we're looking to deal Toni Kukoc before the trading deadline. Toni's in the last year of his contract, and with him being a veteran at the end of his career, it's unlikely he's going to want to re-sign. So, we might as well get something for him. Also, I talked with him and he expressed his desire to make one final run at a championship. So we've had preliminary discussions with a few title-contending teams, such as the San Antonio Spurs, who could really use a great versatile veteran like Kukoc to put them over the top and win it all. I'll keep you all updated, but those are the thoughts for now.

Peace."

[COOLmac©]

hey didn't i tell you i met dwight howard in person?
i saw him in national sports grill, a bar here in the city. i think he was on an nba tour with some other guy. he was really tall towering over poeple and yes he ssem polite and a joker...i never heard him talk about God yet though but he has this million dollar smile which propel his religious personality.

EDIT: and oh yeah bullsfan bring back the animated gif...dont you have the cd writer yet?

[alexboom]

What about trading Kukoc to the Spurs for Glen Robinson? That would be a great comeback in the city

[bullsfan009]

COOLmac- wow you met Dwight Howard! I'm sure he's going to take the league by storm, in more than one way, for many years to come...AND FINALLY, THE GIFS ARE BACK!!! LOOK BACK STARTING AT GAME 5 ALL THE WAY TO THE PRESENT GAME FOR THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY!

What about trading Kukoc to the Spurs for Glen Robinson? That would be a great comeback in the city

Glenn Robinson can really score, but doesn't play ANY defense, and like Jermaine ONeal commented above, I need some better defensive players. Plus Robinson is past his prime, and I'd like to use Kukoc to get in return some solid role players that will be around for a few years. I very much appreciate trade advice, though, I like to talk about trade possibilities.

P. S. Everyone: I FINALLY got some more Highlights of the Day up!

[bullsfan009]

Game 11: New Jersey Nets (6-3) @ Milwaukee Bucks (4-6)

NJ 115, MIL 112
What Goes Around, Comes Around- One Game After Miracle 4th Quarter, Bucks Blow Game Late


MILWAUKEE- Jason Terry and the Milwaukee Bucks showed that they do not have an endless supply of fourth quarter heroics, as some might have been wondering. The New Jersey Nets turned an 8-point Bucks lead in the final period into a 3-point margin of victory by game’s end, thanks to a key 12-0 run that put them up 108-104 with 1:47 remaining.
Terry missed all three of his shots in the final minute, and Vince Carter’s brilliance offensively sealed it. Carter scored 13 of his 29 points in the fourth, doing it efficiently by making 5-of-7 shots. He and Richard Jefferson (20 pts, 9 reb) were a load for Terry and Desmond Mason to deal with defensively all game long.
Nets rookie center Nenad Krstic impressed with a 15 point, 14 rebound showing. He displayed a nice jumper and a healthy aggressiveness on the glass. Rebounding in general was one of the Bucks’ major downfalls in the game: they were held to a season-low 29 total rebounds, while New Jersey grabbed 40 total boards. Surrendering offensive rebounds continues to be an Achilles heel for Milwaukee- New Jersey had 15 of them, more than half of that total number of Bucks boards.
On the plus side for the Nets this game, Toni Kukoc started his second game of the season, and was magnificent. He recorded a triple double: 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, and shot a solid 11-for-17 from the field. Terry Porter commented, “Toni was great tonight. I put him in the starting lineup because the Nets are a team that want to run with their superstar trio of Kidd, Carter and Jefferson. So Toni naturally fits into that style of play, and as you could see tonight by his numbers, he thrived in it.”
Desmond Mason also played well. He registered 25 points and 6 assists, his highest point total since Game 1 versus the Minnesota Timberwolves when he dropped 30. “Mason continues to be a very consistent, solid, dependable player for us,” Coach Porter remarked.
Now only if the entire team could be that way…

GAME NOTES
Vince Carter had to sit after committing his 3rd foul with 8:07 to play in the 2nd quarter, but little-used rookie reserve Billy Thomas played the game of his life. In very limited action, he scored 14 points without missing a shot (6-6 FGs).

GAME STATS

MILWAUKEE
Gadzuric: 4 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 2-5 FGs
Howard: 6 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 2-6 FGs
Mason: 25 pts, 2 reb, 6 ast, 12-17 FGs
Terry: 11 pts, 4 reb, 9 ast, 5-12 FGs
Williams: 7 pts, 0 reb, 4 ast, 2-5 FGs
Kukoc: 29 pts, 10 reb, 10 ast, 11-17 FGs
Clark: 8 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 4-6 FGs
Strickland: 19 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 9-14 FGs
Childs: 3 pts, 0 reb, 2 ast, 1-5 FGs
Fizer: 0 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs
Booth: 0 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs
TOTALS: 48-87 FGs (55.2%), 13-18 FTs, 29 REB (7 OFF), 36 AST, 8 FL

NEW JERSEY
Kristic: 15 pts, 14 reb, 1 ast, 7-10 FGs
Robinson: 13 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 6-14 FGs
Jefferson: 20 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast, 9-15 FGs
Carter: 29 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 12-20 FGs
Kidd: 17 pts, 2 reb, 11 ast, 7-18 FGs
Best: 3 pts, 0 reb, 3 ast, 1-3 FGs
Kemp: 0 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 0-2 FGs
Mercer: 4 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 2-3 FGs
Collins: 0 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs
Buford: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-1 FGs
Thomas: 14 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 6-6 FGs
TOTALS: 50-92 FGs (54.3%), 9-14 FTs, 40 REB (15 OFF), 23 AST, 15 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nets 28 23 30 34---115
Bucks 29 31 29 23---112
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 3-8 (Strickland 1-1, Williams 1-1, Terry 1-3, Mason 0-1, Childs 0-2), New Jersey 6-13 (Thomas 2-2, Carter 2-4, Best 1-1, Jefferson 1-3, Kidd 0-3). Turnovers: Milwaukee 11, New Jersey 13. Steals: Milwaukee 10 (Terry 4), New Jersey 5 (5 Tied With 1). Blocks: Milwaukee 5 (Howard 3), New Jersey 11 (3 Tied With 2).

Highlight of the Day
Richard Jefferson with the nice post move.

BUCKS RECORD: 4-7

[bullsfan009]

Game 12: Milwaukee Bucks (4-7) @ New York Knicks (6-8)

NY 96, MIL 95
Almost, But Not Quite- Bucks Rebound From 20 Point Deficit To Lose By 1


NEW YORK- In the Mecca of baskeball, Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York city, b-ball fans witnessed a great NBA game between the visiting Milwaukee Bucks and home New York Knicks.
New York came out firing, getting out to a 10-point lead early on in the first quarter. Stephon Marbury was wheeling and dealing, racking up points, assists and rebounds with ease. Marbury is likely to make the All-Star team this year: he’s averaging 21.7 points and 8.9 assists so far this season.
The Bucks continued to struggle into the second quarter, and the Knicks’ lead ballooned to 18 by halftime. Marbury had 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists after two quarters, and really the only bright spot for Milwaukee was reserve center Keon Clark. Clark had 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks in the second quarter alone.
Although it looked to be a blowout victory for the Knicks, the Bucks never felt that the game was over or even out of reach. They battled back hard in the third, led by Clark’s 10 rebounds and resounding slam dunks in the quarter. And to slow down Stephon, Bucks coach Terry Porter put Jason Terry at the point to defend him. It worked: Marbury only scored 2 points in the entire second half.
So slowly but surely, the Bucks came back after trailing by 20 points in the early minutes of the 3rd quarter. In the fourth quarter, they went to their bread-and-butter play: a pick-and-roll with Jason Terry and Dwight Howard. Milwaukee used that play almost every time down the floor, and New York had no answers for it. If the point guard got caught up in the screen, Terry would splash in the open jumper, and if the big man came out or even was a step slower than Howard, Terry would hit Dwight with a great pass into the post. And Howard was finishing well, knocking down the short jumper or taking it strong to the basket.
The Bucks came to within 2 points with 10 seconds left in the game, and Jason Terry drew a foul. He stepped up to the line, and missed the first free throw! “I couldn’t believe I missed that one,” Terry said after the game. “That really hurt us.” Terry hit the second to make the score 96-95, and the Bucks had to foul. But the Knicks threw the ball in and played keep-away: Milwaukee couldn’t manage to foul anyone, and New York ran out the clock to seal the victory.

GAME NOTES
Keon Clark is making a strong case to overtake Dan Gadzuric’s starting center position. In the 5 games he’s played since his signing with the Bucks, he’s averaging 10.8 ppg and 6 rpg. He played huge in this game against the Knicks: 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 blocks off the bench.

GAME STATS

MILWAUKEE
Gadzuric: 0 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 0-6 FGs
Howard: 19 pts, 10 reb, 0 ast, 9-18 FGs
Mason: 13 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 3-8 FGs
Terry: 24 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast, 11-18 FGs
M. Williams: 6 pts, 0 reb, 4 ast, 3-5 FGs
Kukoc: 6 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast, 2-12 FGs
Clark: 18 pts, 17 reb, 0 ast, 8-16 FGs
Strickland: 2 pts, 1 reb, 3 ast, 1-2 FGs
Childs: 3 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 1-3 FGs
Fizer: 4 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 2-4 FGs
Henderson: 0 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 0-1 FGs
TOTALS: 40-92 FGs (43.5%), 13-18 FTs, 47 REB (9 OFF), 20 AST, 8 FL

NEW YORK
Rose: 14 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast, 7-13 FGs
K. Thomas: 11 pts, 18 reb, 3 ast, 5-12 FGs
Houston: 18 pts, 9 reb, 0 ast, 7-20 FGs
Crawford: 14 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 9-29 FGs
Marbury: 14 pts, 4 reb, 12 ast, 6-21 FGs
J. Williams: 6 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 3-4 FGs
T. Thomas: 4 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 2-5 FGs
Hardaway: 10 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 5-7 FGs
Trent: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs
TOTALS: 44-111 FGs (39.6%), 6-10 FTs, 52 REB (19 OFF), 20 AST, 16 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bucks 19 19 23 34---95
Knicks 26 30 16 24---96
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 2-11 (Childs 1-2, Terry 1-6, M. Williams 0-1, Kukoc 0-2), New York 2-9 (Houston 1-2, Crawford 1-4, J. Williams 0-1, Marbury 0-2). Turnovers: Milwaukee 11, New York 5. Steals: Milwaukee 4 (Terry 2), New York 6 (6 Tied With 1). Blocks: Milwaukee 11 (Clark 3), New York 12 (Rose 6).

Highlight of the Day
Keon Clark was incredible against the Knicks.

BUCKS RECORD: 4-8