March 18
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Brandon Jennings desperately wanted to leave his hometown with a victory, so he tried to jolt his teammates into action with some hot shooting in the third quarter Wednesday night. But it turned out nothing could jump-start the Milwaukee Bucks in a sloppy 101-93 defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers at the Staples Center. When the Clippers unveiled a surprise 2-3 zone defense in the final quarter, the Bucks (36-30) seemed puzzled and watched as the home team regained control and ended Milwaukee's six-game winning streak. The Clippers (26-43) halted their own eight-game skid while keeping Jennings winless in L.A. as a rookie, with losses to both the Lakers and Clippers. "In the third quarter I ..."
March 17
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Baron Davis knows a few things about playing the point guard position. So when the Los Angeles Clippers' star says he thinks Bucks guard Brandon Jennings should be the league's rookie of the year, you listen. "I think Brandon should be the rookie of the year because it's all about winning in this league," Davis said after the Clippers' practice session Tuesday. "He's been winning, and he's been doing a good job of leading his team. "He's had the numbers and all the accolades. He's definitely the point guard of the future in this league." Jennings was the early favorite for the rookie of the year award, after he piled up 55 points against Golden State in his seventh game with the Bucks. But ..."
March 16
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Yes, Dwight Howard (no relation, sadly) is playing the center position in the NBA better than anyone at this point in the season. Next up? Drum roll, please . . . Andrew Bogut. That's right, your Andrew Bogut, the Milwaukee Bucks' No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft, the 7-foot Australian with a bounce in his legs, a mountain of determination and a consistency that was, before this season, unexplainably absent. As the Bucks rocket toward a more-than-successful campaign when contrasted against the previous 10, everyone across the NBA landscape is wondering, "What went right?" For the purposes of this one-way conversation, let's focus on a player - at a position that has historically been ..."
March 16
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Milwaukee Bucks backup point guard Luke Ridnour has been so good this season that it was quite obvious when he started to struggle during the recent home stand. The 6-foot-2 veteran played six minutes against Boston and seven minutes against Utah and did not score in either game. He picked up three fouls and committed two turnovers against the Jazz, leading to a seat on the bench while starter Brandon Jennings played 41 minutes. But Ridnour bounced back with 13 points, three rebounds and two assists while playing 20 minutes in the Bucks' 98-94 victory against Indiana on Sunday. "He's just had such a great year that sooner or later you're bound to have a game where you struggle a little ..."
March 16
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Brandon Jennings already has sized up the three-game road trip his team is facing this week. First stop for the streaking Milwaukee Bucks is Los Angeles, Jennings' hometown, where they face the struggling Clippers on Wednesday night. The next stop will be Sacramento and another rookie point guard showdown featuring Jennings and the Kings' Tyreke Evans. Final stop: Denver, where Chauncey Billups, Carmelo Anthony and one of the league's top teams will be waiting on Saturday night. The Bucks, who have won 12 of their last 13 games and are 18-4 since Jan. 27, want to keep the positive vibes going while holding their position in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Suddenly the Charlotte ..."
March 15
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Scott Skiles called his team's matinee matchup with the Indiana Pacers a "trap game." And the Milwaukee Bucks nearly fell into it Sunday afternoon at the Bradley Center as they squandered nearly all of a 16-point, fourth-quarter lead before holding off the visitors, 98-94, to complete a sweep of their four-game home stand. After beating three powerful teams - Cleveland, Boston and Utah - the Bucks tried hard not to peek ahead to their three-game western trip this week. They almost did. But a more-than-solid showing by the bench helped rescue a sluggish performance by the starters as the Bucks were able to improve their record to 36-29 with their sixth straight victory 12th in their last ..."
March 14
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
columnist Michael Hunt
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It was mentioned to the general manager that my preseason victory total for the Bucks was 37. "If you had said 37 in October, I'd have said you'd lost your mind," John Hammond said. No one would question that last part, but with 18 games left, the Bucks are sitting on 35. For now, it looks like 37 was crazy. Crazy low. Still, Hammond is worried. You could hear the concern in his voice over the phone all the way from Kansas City, where he was scouting the Big 12 tournament. "Everybody said we'd be horrible this season," he said. "Now we've raised the bar and people take it for granted we're going to make the playoffs." The GM proceeded to rattle off the remaining schedule one by one and, ..."
March 14
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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John Hammond will be the first to tell you the Milwaukee Bucks are still under construction. The Bucks general manager knows firsthand just how difficult the job is, as he approaches the second anniversary of his hiring by Sen. Herb Kohl, the team's owner. But there are definite signs the building has begun to take shape. Take, for example, the Bucks' current stretch of 11 victories in their last 12 games, which includes three straight decisions over Cleveland (minus LeBron James), Boston and Utah. And there's the matter of the team's rise to the fifth position in the Eastern Conference race and a 35-29 record, a season-best six games above the .500 mark. Add to that the breakout season ..."
March 13
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The Milwaukee Bucks have kept three things in mind during their impressive playoff push, which continued with a gritty 95-87 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday night at the Bradley Center. Stay grounded, stay grounded, and stay grounded. It's a message coach Scott Skiles has relayed to his team, and the players have bought into it and kept their feet firmly on the ground during one of the franchise's most successful runs in years. "We're having a great stretch," said Skiles. "I don't mean to be underplaying it all, but at the same time we're 35-29. We're not 55-and-something. We're 35-29 and we're battling for a spot. "We talk about (staying grounded) a little bit. When I hear the guys ..."
March 12
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
columnist Charles F. Gardner
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Jerry Stackhouse worked out for the Milwaukee Bucks coaches in Houston in mid-January, when the team was floundering at the end of a long western road swing. The Bucks liked what they saw in the 35-year-old Stackhouse, even though he had been home in Atlanta since the start of the season and had tried to stay in shape by working out with a local high school team. The match became a perfect union, with Stackhouse providing some needed offense off the bench and a veteran presence in the Bucks' locker room. "We were already on a bit of an uptick with the way we were playing," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "All of a sudden we add him, a veteran with toughness. Then here comes John (Salmons). ..."
March 11
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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OK, here's the question starting to be heard around the National Basketball Association. How good are these guys, anyway? And these guys they're talking about, believe it or not, are the usually ignored Milwaukee Bucks. But winning 10 out of their last 11 games, with the only loss coming in overtime at Atlanta, has brought the Bucks some deserved attention on the national level. The Bucks (34-29) have vaulted into the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference standings, leading sixth-place by Toronto by 1½ games entering play Wednesday. Unless Milwaukee has a major meltdown over the final 19 regular-season games, it should secure its first playoff berth since 2006. But can the Bucks keep it up? ..."
March 10
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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It took some grit, guile and old-fashioned defense for the Milwaukee Bucks to continue their winning ways Tuesday night at the Bradley Center. The Bucks survived a last-second, game-tying attempt by Celtics forward Paul Pierce to grab an 86-84 victory in a game that carried the tension of a playoff thriller. Milwaukee (34-29) won its fourth straight and its 10th game in the last 11 to continue its run as one of the National Basketball Association's hottest teams. Plenty of heroes showed up for the Bucks, led by center Andrew Bogut with 25 points, 17 rebounds and four blocked shots. Carlos Delfino, who took intravenous fluids before the game to battle a case of the flu, played anyway and ..."
March 10
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The National Basketball Association's time machine has to be dialed back to 1987 to find the last time that the Milwaukee Bucks clashed with the Boston Celtics in a playoff series. The Celtics won that Eastern Conference semifinal series in seven games in what was the conclusion to an almost annual playoff rivalry between Milwaukee and Boston in the mid-'80s. Boston coach Doc Rivers recalls some of those classic Bucks-Celtics playoff tussles. At the time he was a big man on campus at Marquette University. "Those were great series," said Rivers Tuesday night before the Bucks' 86-84 victory at the Bradley Center. "It was just that the Bucks couldn't win them (except for 1983). They were so ..."
March 9
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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John Salmons got a good look at the Boston Celtics during a thrilling seven-game playoff series last season, when he was a member of the Chicago Bulls. So wouldn't it be strange if Salmons and his new team, the Milwaukee Bucks, wound up playing Boston in the first round this season? It's a real possibility, with Boston currently in the third spot in the Eastern Conference and the Bucks in fifth, just one-half game ahead of sixth-place Toronto. A 3-6 or 4-5 matchup between the Celtics and Bucks isn't out of the question, and that lends some extra luster to the three remaining regular-season meetings between the teams. They face each other Tuesday night at the Bradley Center, the first ..."
March 8
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Brandon Jennings received mixed reviews during the past weekend for his latest hairstyle, a red-striped tribute of sorts to Dennis Rodman. But Jennings' play brought positive reviews as the Milwaukee Bucks rookie starred in back-to-back victories over Washington and Cleveland. The Bucks point guard handed out nine assists against the Wizards, several of the spectacular variety, on Friday night in Milwaukee's 28-point rout in Washington. On Saturday, he showed he still can score when needed, leading the Bucks with 25 points and draining 5 of 7 three-point attempts in a 92-85 victory over the Cavaliers. While some rookies fade in the final quarter of a grueling National Basketball ..."
March 7
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
columnist Tom Enlund
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Meaningful games in March. Barring an unlikely total collapse by the Milwaukee Bucks, it's an expression that will be heard often in these parts in the weeks ahead. The Bucks will be playing key games down the stretch and - at least the younger players - learning what it takes to make the NBA playoffs. But the Bucks won't be alone in this endeavor, as other playoff-starved teams such as Oklahoma City, Charlotte and Memphis are being educated in just how tough it gets around this time of the year. Meaningful games in March? It sure beats the alternative, which Bucks center Andrew Bogut has discovered over the past few seasons. "Last year, I stuck around (despite being injured) and it was ..."
March 7
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Playing meaningful games in March is a huge step for the Milwaukee Bucks franchise. Getting to the playoffs would be an even bigger leap. Bucks coach Scott Skiles admits he wasn't sure where the season was headed after his team followed a surprising 8-3 start with a difficult 8-20 stretch. That put Milwaukee seven games under the .500 mark at 16-23 after they lost a heartbreaker in overtime at Houston on Jan. 18. But since that game the Bucks have put together an impressive 17-6 record and become one of the hottest teams in the National Basketball Association. "Sort of the M.O. of our franchise the last several years has been to get down, fall behind a little bit and boom, just cave," ..."
March 7
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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LeBron James had some fun on the bench after he was exiled there by Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown on Saturday night. "Let the rooster shoot," James crowed when Milwaukee Bucks rookie guard Brandon Jennings, sporting a tinge of red in his new haircut, got the ball. Jennings, who threatened not to shoot the ball earlier in the week, instead regained his three-point touch to help lead the Bucks to a 92-85 victory over the Cavaliers before a sellout crowd of 18,717 at the Bradley Center. All five Bucks starters scored in double figures, paced by Jennings with 25 points, as Milwaukee (33-29) won for the ninth time in its last 10 games to continue its Eastern Conference playoff push. And ..."
March 6
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Bring on Cleveland. The Milwaukee Bucks left no doubts in their rematch with Washington on Friday night at the Verizon Center, moving the ball crisply and dunking and blocking their way to a 102-74 victory. It was just the type of performance coach Scott Skiles was seeking as the Bucks headed home to prepare for LeBron James and the Cavaliers on Saturday night. Center Andrew Bogut threw down four dunks and had five blocked shots to spice up his double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds, helping the Bucks (32-29) remain in the sixth position in the Eastern Conference race, just one-half game behind fifth-place Toronto. "Our defense was active, and our ball movement was great again," said ..."
March 5
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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After holding the line for three seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks are raising season-ticket prices, especially in the high-end seats. The price for the courtside club seats located behind the benches is $119 per game for a season-ticket package, an increase of $5 a game. Some other high-end seats will go for $94 ($4 increase) and $89 ($4 increase). Some of the lower-priced season tickets are $28 ($1 increase), $18 ($1 increase) and $9 ($1 increase). In recent years, many professional sports franchises have raised prices on seats but have generally increased prices by a higher percentage for high-end seats while trying to hold down prices on cheaper seats. John Steinmiller, vice president for ..."
March 5
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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John Salmons is a quiet guy. That's one of the first things you notice about the unassuming pro the Milwaukee Bucks acquired at the trade deadline about two weeks ago. But don't mistake Salmons' demeanor for being unconcerned. In the words of Bucks coach Scott Skiles, "unflappable" is the more appropriate term. "He's a steady influence," Skiles said. "He's pretty much the same every day. You don't get the sense in a big game or a not-so-big game that he's going to ride the emotional roller coaster up and down. "He's not going to get rattled out there." Bucks fans got an look at Salmons' calming influence in his first game with the team. After a turnover in the final minutes had put a ..."
March 4
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Milwaukee Bucks coach Scott Skiles is not ready to declare his team one of the defensive juggernauts of the National Basketball Association. Marked improvement has being shown on the defensive end, especially during the team's recent six-game winning streak, but Skiles cautions that the Bucks have been down this road before where the team's defensive prowess is concerned. How much have the Bucks improved defensively as of late? "Quite a bit," said Skiles before Wednesday's game against Washington at the Bradley Center. "But I felt that way going into the (all-star) break and we came out of the break and gave some guys career nights. But it has improved. Our defense out front . . . Brandon ..."
March 4
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Scott Skiles had a warning for his team after its 100-87 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night at the Bradley Center. "There were things we were supposed to be doing out there that my staff and I know and all the players know," the Milwaukee Bucks coach said. "They know what went on tonight. "They know if they play like that in Washington, we'll get beat." Skiles referred to the quick rematch with the Wizards on Friday night at the Verizon Center in the nation's capital. The Bucks lacked energy and intensity for much of the night but got a huge lift from reserves Ersan Ilyasova and Jerry Stackhouse. Milwaukee turned up the defensive pressure as the Wizards committed 12 ..."
March 3
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Memories of March are not exactly pleasant ones for the Milwaukee Bucks. Playing without the injured Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut, the Bucks dipped to a 3-10 record in March a year ago to completely fall out of the Eastern Conference playoff chase. As the team opens a favorable March schedule this season, the feeling is quite different. The Bucks (30-29) are coming off a 10-4 record in February and have a realistic chance to reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-'06 season. They play 10 of 15 games this month at the Bradley Center, beginning with a date against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night. "I think we believe in ourselves as a team," Bucks guard Luke Ridnour ..."
March 2
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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It had been well over seven years since the NBA selected a coach from the Milwaukee Bucks as its Flavor of the Month. That would be - give or take - 86 months, 2,580 days, 61,920 hours or 3,715,200 minutes. Needless to say, it had been a long time. Early Monday afternoon on the first day of March 2010, the NBA released a statement acknowledging Scott Skiles as the Eastern Conference coach of the month for February. The last leader of the Bucks to be rewarded with a similar honor was George Karl, back in January 2003. What a well-deserved absence. In between Karl (Milwaukee's lovable loaf of banana bread) and Skiles, Bucks fans were forced to stomach Terry Porter for two years, Terry Stotts ..."
March 2
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Bucks guard Michael Redd will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair torn ligaments in his left knee, an injury he suffered Jan. 10 in Los Angeles. Brian Cole, the Chicago Bulls team doctor, will perform the surgery in Oak Park, Ill. Redd also underwent surgery to repair torn ligaments in the left knee one year ago, nearly to the day. Cole also performed that surgery, on March 3, 2009. The 30-year-old Bucks guard was able to recover from that surgery and played in 18 games with the Bucks this season while averaging 11.9 points."
March 1
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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One of Hawks coach Mike Woodson's keys to winning the Southeast Division is to post a dominant record at Philips Arena. That formula doesn't include losing to teams below the Hawks in the standings, especially when the opponent played the night before. Credit Hawks All-Star Joe Johnson for making the Hawks stick to Woodson's plan. Johnson scored seven consecutive points in overtime to rally the Hawks to a 106-102 victory over Milwaukee on Sunday. The Hawks avoided losing two in a row at home for just the second time all season and improved to 23-7 on their court. "When you get a second chance you always want to come through," Johnson said. "I wanted to make plays in that overtime to get us ..."
March 1
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Joe Johnson failed to put away the Milwaukee Bucks at the end of regulation, but the Atlanta Hawks all-star guard did the job in overtime. And the Bucks were left shaking their heads over missed opportunities as they had their six-game winning streak halted Sunday night, dropping a 106-102 decision to the Hawks at Philips Arena. Johnson scored nine of his team-high 24 points in overtime, spoiling the good vibes the Bucks have been feeling on the road. Milwaukee (30-29) ended a string of six straight road victories and finished February with a 10-4 mark, including a 7-2 record on the road. But that was little consolation after it squandered a seven-point lead in the last 5 minutes of ..."
February 28
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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It's fair to say the Milwaukee Bucks have the full attention of the Miami Heat. After beating the Heat twice convincingly with star Dwyane Wade in the lineup, the Bucks took a turn at Miami without the injured Wade on the floor Saturday. It was strictly no contest. The streaking Bucks turned up their defense in the second half, allowing just 26 points to a frustrated Miami team, and cruised to a 94-71 victory in a matinee at American Airlines Arena. Milwaukee (30-28) won its sixth consecutive game and clinched a playoff tiebreaker over the Heat, while moving 1½ games in front of Miami and Charlotte in the Eastern Conference race. The Bucks are seeded seventh in the current standings and ..."
February 28
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Studio analyst Kenny Smith of TNT has upgraded his opinion of the new-look Milwaukee Bucks. He now considers them the fifth-best team in the NBA's Eastern Conference, ahead of teams such as the Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls. "If Andrew Bogut had won four or five more games before the all-star break - he was playing like an all-star," Smith said last week during TNT's doubleheader. "But injuries didn't get him over the top. He's healthy now and playing like an all-star. "Brandon Jennings does not have to be a 55-point scorer. He doesn't even have to be a 20-point scorer. A 16-point, eight-assist guy will get it done in Milwaukee. They are the best second-tier team. The top four are ..."
February 27
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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The last time Andrew Bogut appeared in the playoffs, he was a 20-year-old rookie just learning the ways of the pro game. Now fast forward five years to the current season, and the 7-foot Milwaukee Bucks center is a much more polished player. He's rejecting shots with authority and finishing on the fast break. He's throwing down some powerful dunks that are bringing his teammates off the bench to scream and shout, as they did on a two-handed monster jam he applied over Indiana's Brandon Rush on Thursday night. And he's leading in the locker room and on the court with directions and encouragement for a suddenly rejuvenated band of Bucks. On Saturday afternoon, Bogut and an above-.500 ..."
February 26
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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It appeared to be a cruise to the finish line with 5½ minutes left and the Milwaukee Bucks leading Indiana by 14 points. But some wild and wacky turns nearly derailed the Bucks on the way to their fifth consecutive victory, although they held on to claim a 112-110 decision over the Pacers on Thursday night at Conseco Fieldhouse. Twice the Bucks committed fouls on Indiana players attempting three-pointers in the final 10 seconds, giving the Pacers chances to close the gap. Pacers guard T.J. Ford was fouled by Luke Ridnour with 1.5 seconds left and the Bucks ahead, 112-108, and Ford made the first two shots before intentionally missing the third. Bucks forward Carlos Delfino was able to tap ..."
February 25
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Andrew Bogut and the Milwaukee Bucks produced a "feel-good" victory at the Bradley Center on Wednesday night as they routed the New Orleans Hornets, 115-95. The 7-foot Bogut was able to watch in comfort from the bench for the entire fourth quarter after the Bucks built a 17-point margin at the end of three quarters. He continued his stellar play with 26 points and 13 rebounds while leading Milwaukee (28-28) back to the .500 mark for the first time since Dec. 12. But the Bucks don't want to get giddy about their recent four-game winning streak and ascent in the Eastern Conference standings, now up to the seventh playoff position. Milwaukee has won 10 of its last 13 and is 4-1 since ..."
February 24
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
columnist Michael Hunt
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Pardon the echo because, it's true, we've asked this question pretty much every other February for the last eight seasons, give or take. But because the Milwaukee Bucks are behaving like a semi-legitimate NBA team for the time being, it bears repeating: Stuck in pro-basketball purgatory as they've been since making the 2001 Eastern Conference finals - just mediocre enough to get the non-lottery draft pick virtually guaranteed to not help them, or patently bad enough to make the lottery in years when there are no supernovas to lift them - what's a team to do? Are they better off making the playoffs, where they'd become gum on the bottom of LeBron James' shoe during his walk to the Finals? ..."
February 24
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Alarm bells were sounding when the Houston Rockets poured in 127 points in a rout of the Milwaukee Bucks a week ago. But since that time the Bucks have yielded 85, 88 and 67 points in their next three games, all victories. The New York Knicks scored only 26 points in the second half against the Bucks on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. And high-scoring guard Tracy McGrady was limited to 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting in his second game since joining the Knicks in a trade deadline deal with Houston. "We just couldn't make no shots," McGrady said. "That's a very, very good defensive team and it showed; we only scored 67 points. We're still growing as a team. We're learning on the fly." ..."
February 23
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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For those of you scoring at home, make that four consecutive road victories for the Milwaukee Bucks and five victories in their last six games away from home. Not bad. But, warned coach Scott Skiles and his merry band of road warriors after their 83-67 victory over the New York Knicks Monday night at Madison Square Garden, let's not get too carried away yet. "We still have a long way to go," said center Andrew Bogut, who did the heavy lifting for the Bucks Monday and finished with 24 points, 20 rebounds and five blocked shots. "We've had these phases as a ball club over the last two or three years where - I don't know if you'd call it 'fool's gold' - we have put good games together and ..."
February 22
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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A furious finish to February awaits the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks play five games in the next seven days, starting with an appearance against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. And four of the five games are on the road, with the lone home date coming Wednesday night against the New Orleans Hornets. But the Bucks have to be encouraged after posting back-to-back victories during the weekend and getting a major boost from John Salmons, acquired in a trade deadline deal. The former Chicago Bulls player scored 19 points on consecutive nights, without even having a full practice with his new team. Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings also contributed heavily to the ..."
February 21
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Stephen Jackson led a frantic comeback by the Charlotte Bobcats in the second half Saturday night, but his late bobble proved costly as the Milwaukee Bucks held on for a 93-88 victory at the Bradley Center. Jackson scored a game-high 35 points as Charlotte rallied from a 20-point deficit to make the Bucks sweat in the final minutes of the game. But with Milwaukee holding a tenuous four-point lead, Jackson lost the handle on his dribble and Bucks newcomer John Salmons scooped up the ball and headed toward the basket. Jackson had to reach out and foul Salmons with 34.2 seconds remaining, and the clear-path call gave the Bucks two free throws and possession of the ball. They capitalized, ..."