Again with 25 and 10? What has gotten into this guy. Double-doubles in five of his last seven games, better than 15 points per game over his last 10 games. Late game offensive put backs are becoming a regular thing, even when his teammates are lacking in energy. He’s hitting roughly 40% of his threes on the season too. He looks like he’s starting to take a big, giant step forward in terms of providing consistent production. If he had a real center next to him, I can only imagine how the Bucks front line would look right now.

I didn’t mean to knock Drew Gooden either. Credit him as much as you can for playing against the Celtics. In the locker room after Tuesday’s game, he literally could not bend over or have his back and neck do anything but be completely straight. Then he flew to Boston and played the next night. Better yet, he scored 23 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had to deal with Kevin Garnett all night. It still hurts the Bucks a lot that he isn’t much of a defender as an individual or as a team defender, but he’s a tough guy.

Both Jennings and Rondo had eight assists and two turnovers at one point.

That is where the comparisons end. Rondo controlled Boston’s offense, manipulated and moved through the Bucks defense, took chances and set his teammates up. Brandon Jennings passed the ball. That’s what he did. He dribbled the ball up the court and then he passed it. On rare occasions, he shot it. For a brief period in the fourth quarter, he looked great. Back-to-back threes always get our hopes up with Jennings.

Otherwise he did what every point guard in the D-League and every point guard that plays on a major college basketball team could have done. Meanwhile, Rondo finished with a triple double. Remember when there was some conversation about which one of them was an All-Star?

It’s funny what happens when the Wizards’ defense is swapped with the Celtics’ defense. Gone were those blow-bys for Brandon Jennings that led to kick outs to open shooters. Dunleavy attempted just one three s the Celtics had much more of an interest in rotating over to keep him from hanging out alone behind the arc. The Celtics physical play made him bubble over and pick up a technical late.

It’s cool when a guy you never know what you’ll see do plays well. But it’s hard to get excited for any random good game a guy like Larry Sanders has. It’s fine and all, but what does it matter? If he strings 10 or so together the way Ilyasova has started to do this season, then I’ll pay attention. But Scott Skiles had so little confidence in Sanders just last game that he didn’t even play. Forgive me if tonight’s performance doesn’t exactly leave me salivating over what could be.

After a strong start, nine points and seven rebounds in the first quarter, Ersan was largely kept captive. The effort that typically lands him a few rebounds was matched in the second half by Booker. Again with this Booker guy. He really muscled up in the second half and helped get Ersan off to a bad start after the break. Down the stretch, Skiles rode a small lineup that had Mbah a Moute and Harris up front and Ersan watching.

But Ersan came back in a big way down the stretch. He hit the offensive glass hard on the Bucks final possession and tipped in Jennings’ floater to give Milwaukee a win they badly wanted.

Jennings and John Wall took turns dribbling past each other most of the game. Both effectively at kicked out to open shooters too. Watching either one of them dribble through traffic in an up-tempo game is incredible. Both are so smooth and controlled. Watching either one of them in a half court offense is often painful though. Jennings settles for everything and Wall missed on a number of easy opportunities at the rim/failed to really take control the way it seems like he should be able to.

Wall got his teammate an easy dunk on the pick and roll and then rose over Jennings late for what seemed like it would be the game winner. Jennings dribbled it off himself to set up that possession. Things looked bad.

But Milwaukee’s young point guard got to his left and got off a look as good as Wall did on Milwaukee’s last possession. He doesn’t have Wall’s athleticism, so he couldn’t soar up and bank it in, but his look created the opportunity for Ilyasova’s tip.

16 points in the second quarter on 6-9 FG and 4-6 3FG. Dunleavy was feeling it. Each of his catches from deep in the second came without a defender within a few feet of him. It was awesome when Dunleavy used a pump fake to get a Wizards player to fly by then calmly dribbled once and knocked down his shot as no other defender helped on a few occasions.

Mbah a Moute helped calm down the Wizards in the fourth quarter. He nabbed a few offensive boards and made good on a few put backs and shots around the rim. When he’s doing this, no one can say anything bad about him. When he’s shooting jump shots, which it seems like he’s done way too often over the past month, he’s kind of a problem. Work to your strengths and keep your weaknesses in a dark closet Luc.

Aggressive as ever, Harris got to the line a couple of times and finished around the hoop just as frequently. Offensively, he’s pretty ready to be good – at the least – on most nights. But defensively he certainly wasn’t answering any of the Bucks many questions.

Was there.

Overmatched, overworked, overwhelmed.

He was an offensive darling tonight, but he was filleted on defense. Man? Bad. Help? Bad. For all the awareness he has on offense, the exact opposite is true for his defense.

Doing just enough for his purposes.

Efficiently occupied space and time.

Brockman’s ten minutes hurt my soul.

*sing to rhythm of the chorus of Hypnotize by Biggie.

Larry, Larry, Larry can’t you see, sometimes your blocks just hypnotize me. And I just love your flashy ways, but you can’t catch so you don’t play.

YOU ARE MISSED.