Box Score/Recap/Enemy

Looking for more reasons to dislike Kevin Garnett, Bucks fans?

Almost universally, Bucks fans are bummed out after an incredibly hard fought, intense 105-102 overtime loss for the Bucks on Wednesday night.  And with good reason.  Some will say it was the refs fault, some will question a few decisions by the Bucks near the end of the game and some won’t be able to utter Kevin Garnett’s name without a swear word in the sentence for the next few days.  There are a number of things to be upset with after a loss like this.

Yet, I urge everyone to do their best to put on a happy face once again, because if this game is any indication, the Bucks are back.  Or at least close.

This was a squad that bore no resemblance (at least after the first quarter) to the group that limped into Boston 1-3.  Milwaukee got contributions from all over the roster in ways big and small Wednesday night and looked a lot more like the team many thought they were heading into the season.  The Bucks hung tough on the second night of a back-to-back against last year’s Eastern Conference champion and are probably feeling confident in themselves as a group for the first time all year.

Maybe it won’t go down as a victory in the record books, but does that really matter all that much here in the fifth game of the regular season?  The Bucks aren’t jockeying for position right now, they are simply trying to get a lot of players on a lot of different pages all to focus on the same few words.  In that regard, the Bucks looked successful Wednesday night.

Calls that could have gone one way or the other, Andrew Bogut’s early struggles, John Salmons slump extension (another dead legged 3-10 shooting night) and a three-point loss that set the Bucks back to 1-4?  Those are all small scale things.  Games decided by one possession can go either way in the NBA.  The better teams blow out the bad squads and eek out tight games on the road against other good teams.  Milwaukee’s getting there, they just aren’t completely there yet.  The big picture is that the Bucks were able to get rolling and can take some good feelings with them on the flight from Boston to Indiana.

Of course, all is lost again if they don’t show up against the Pacers on Friday night.  For now, I’m confident they will. Read more…

Milwaukee Bucks (Scott Skiles) 1-3
Inactive: Chris Douglas Roberts, Michael Redd, Darington Hobson

vs

Boston Celtics (Doc Rivers) 3-1
Inactive: Kendrick Perkins, Luke Harangody, Delonte West

Date: 11/03/2010
Game Time: 7:00 PM (CST)
TV: ESPN/FS Wisconsin

The Other Guys: Celtics Hub

Point Guard

Brandon Jennings vs. Rajon Rondo

Rondo is one of the worst outside shooting point guards you’ll ever see, but incredibly effective off the dribble.  With his array of shots, he’s pretty much unguardable if he gets in the paint.  His length, quickness and aggressiveness will give Jennings problems on the offensive end too.  Rondo plays with a real chip on his shoulder and seems like he’s out to prove that he’s the best point guard in the league every night.  With games of 17, 24 and 17 assists under his belt this year, it’s getting harder and harder to argue that he isn’t.  Jennings shot very poorly again against the Blazers, but didn’t force much.  So long as his 3-point shot is unreliable though, Milwaukee will struggle.  They don’t have enough outside shooters to absorb his inconsistencies.

Advantage: Celtics Read more…

Between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics, things are getting a tad chippy.

(For more on the Celtics, check out TrueHoop Network Boston Celtics blog, CelticsHub)

Well, I’ll give the Celtics one thing.  As far as a team the Bucks can learn from, they won’t be a bad playoff opponent.  It looks like it’ll make for an entertaining series to boot.

In another game that had a couple chippy moments, the Bucks lost a game that didn’t really mean all that much in front of a sold out Bradley Center crowd Saturday night, 105-90.  And when I say it didn’t mean all that much, I’m referring to the fact that it’s looking more and more like these two teams are going to end up seeing each other in the first round of the playoffs.  Atlanta won again Saturday, they’ll likely beat out Boston for the third seed and while the Bucks lost, they still hold a half game lead for fifth and have a tiebreaker over Miami.  But I think a few things in this one meant a little something.

Teams that play hard defense can occasionally rub their opponents the wrong way and both the Celtics and the Bucks do this.  Teams that have won a championship with a core that’s slipping off the top of its perch often give the impression to new challengers that they aren’t worthy.  Boston has won a title with this core.  Teams that haven’t made the playoffs in some time and are making their first run together often want to prove like they belong.  That’d be the Bucks.  So we’re looking at a first round series between the “Old Irish” and the “Young Bucks”, one on the way down, the other on the way up.  They’ll meet in the middle, chips on shoulders in tow.

So believe me when I write that the miniature dust-ups mean at least mean a little something.  No one wants to be disrespected in the NBA.  No one.

But the Celtics are a great first round opponent for tons of reasons.  Not just because they appear most beatable, but because the Bucks can learn lots from their guys.  They can see the intensity they’ll need.  They can feel the type of defense pressure that wins games in the playoffs.  They can see a star at work in fourth quarters in Paul Pierce, watch what he does and how he operates.

But not all the Celtics serve that purpose.  Some of the Celtics are in need of some learning themselves.  Frankly, on Saturday night, Glen “Big Baby” Davis looked like, well, pardon the obvious pun, but, a Big Baby.  His reaction to a hard foul by Kurt Thomas led to a technical for his time, an on court talking to by Celtics Coach Doc Rivers and … a flagrant foul on Thomas?  Perhaps Davis did know what he was doing.  It’s possible he was just working the refs.

Ah, working the refs.  Few skills seem more difficult to develop in the NBA or as valuable.  The Celtics are always reminding the refs which team has a title under the belt, though not so obviously.  Constantly, you’ll see a Celtic put their arm around the ref, scowl after a call or, in Rasheed Wallace’s case, scream “and one” every shot attempt.  This was a Michael Redd specialty and, truth be told, may be the area where the Bucks will miss him most during the playoffs.  But playing the masters of this craft will give the Bucks an up close and personal tutoring session on this ever so necessary skill.

Of course, Milwaukee will have plenty of time to watch and learn once this regular season gets out of the way and the playoffs start.  This was simply the appetizer before round one.  Hopefully Milwaukee was paying attention. Read more…

Video Courtesy of CelticsHub.com (They have more! Go check it out!)

Recap/Box Score

He flew out at the Celtics best player, his arm extended far as it could go.  Another night full of blocked shots, his arms must have looked like stop signs to the Celtics.  Every time they ventured into the lane he awaited, ready to throw one of his big, red, horizontal shaped hands at them with the same message warning them to cease.

But he could not get to this one.  The crafty Celtic veteran Paul Pierce faded just far enough back to launch his shot just out of the reach of the Bucks defensive anchor, who’d roamed out to challenge the Celtics tying attempt.  The ball sailed through the air; surely many in the Bradley Center were having Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant flashbacks as if Tuesday’s game were nothing more than a bad horror movie.  We’d seen this killer before in his other shapes, would he do it again?

And then the final shot rimmed out.  Andrew Bogut could breathe a sigh of relief.  Another Herculean effort of his would not go to waste and the Bucks would not bow out at the buzzer yet again.

Bogut finished Tuesday with 25 points (10-18 FG 5-5 FT), 17 rebounds and four blocked shots to lead the Bucks over the Celtics 86-84 in a game that gave the home crowd and, more importantly, the home team a little taste of the playoffs in early March.  From scoring the Bucks first four points, to helping to deny the Celtics of their possible last two, Bogut did it all for the Bucks.  The typically strong defender Kendrick Perkins did his best to muscle Bogut out of the lane and challenge his shots, only to see the Aussie drop in one running hook and spin after the next.  Especially pleasing for Bucks fans were the moments when Bogut was truly aggressive.

I love seeing Bogut drop in hooks as much as the next person, but it can leave him out of position for rebounds and keep him from getting to the line.  That’s why it was so delightful to see Bogut grab a rebound for a put back dunk or cram in a top ten nominee on Glen Davis.  Defensively Bogut is the total package and offensively he has as good a finesse game around the hoop as any big man in the league.  At times I’ve thought he lacked killer instinct, nasty demeanor and a midrange game.  Tonight?  Well, he missed a 15-footer that would have put it away with a minute to go, but I can live with that — especially if I keep seeing the instinct and the nasty that was on display Tuesday. Read more…

Milwaukee Bucks (Scott Skiles) 33-29

Vs.

Boston Celtics (Doc Rivers) 40-21

Date: 3/9/2010

Time: 7:00 (CST)

TV: FS Wisconsin

Matchups

Point Guard

Brandon Jennings vs. Rajon Rondo

Length, quickness, instincts, tenacity, you name it and Rondo has it defensively.  So don’t expect another barrage of open three-point looks and all kinds of fancy hand gestures from Jennings in this one.  Jennings and Rondo are quite a study in contrasts.  Jennings has a steady, if not prolific, outside shot, but thus far in his career has been unable to finish inside in his career.  Rondo on the other hand, is finishing nearly two thirds of his shots at the rim, but shoots threes like a drunk at a carnival.  Rondo’s experience, length and general dominance defensively give him the edge over the Milwaukee rook though.

Advantage: Celtics Read more…