“We need multiple guys doing the damage out there.  That’s our formula right now, that’s the way our team is constructed.  We spread the ball around, I say it all the time, they’re unselfish and try and hit the open man and play good team basketball.  When we’re playing well and we’re clicking we are gonna have four or five guys in double figures.”

-         Scott Skiles 2/24/2010

Yes, one night before the Bucks put seven players into double figures, Scott Skiles was singing the praises of his teams unselfishness and insisting that it would take a lot of different scorers for the team to have success.  And he always claims he doesn’t know what’s coming next.

You fooled us all Coach, you fooled us all.

The Bucks got double figure points from seven different players Thursday night.

John Salmons             20

Brandon Jennings      18

Ersan Ilyasova           17

Andrew Bogut            15

Luke Ridnour 12

Jerry Stackhouse       11

Carlos Delfino            10

And they needed every last point to get past the pesky Pacers in the fourth quarter.  After taking control of the game in the second and further exerting their collective wills in the third, the Bucks let things get away from them a little in quarter four.  After grabbing a 14-point lead, two Pacer threes sandwiched around a layup brought Indiana back within six points with four minutes to go.

But the Bucks kept one play ahead of the Pacers.

A Troy Murphy three to close the gap to just three points?  Meet a Jennings jumper.  An Earl Watson tip shot to make it a two point contest?  Meet two free-throws for Salmons.  The Bucks were losing it, without losing it and ultimately stopped before they lost it.  Simple enough?

Offense

It’s obvious whether or not a team is upper echelon in the NBA and the Bucks displayed the qualities that will keep them out of that next level for the foreseeable future on Thursday.  The Bucks had the Pacers on the ropes, down 14 in the fourth quarter.  One more spurt by the Bucks would have put the game away halfway through the quarter and made it an early night.  But the Bucks didn’t quite have it in them.  The Bucks don’t always have that spurtability that really good teams break out when they want to finish off an opponent.  Sometimes the Bucks demonstrate it at home, rarely are they able to bust it out on the road.  That’s just the life of an ever developing team fighting for playoff positioning.  Sometimes they’ll close out the Pacers of the world and sometimes they won’t.  Thursday was a won’t.

• Jennings got Hero Syndrome a little bit at the end of the game, taking an ill-advised floater and long jumper late in the fourth quarter after he hit a big three.  These are things everyone has to deal with for now and hope takes care of themselves later.  I’m working under the impression that some day Jennings will make these shots and we’ll all go home happy more often than not.  As mentioned, Jennings had 18 (6-18 FG 2-4 3FG) and he chipped in seven assists with just two turnovers.

• This is the game I expected from John Salmons more often than not.  Okay shooting numbers (5-12 FG 1-3 3FG) and terrific free-throw numbers (9-10 FT).  Salmons attacking led to those crucial free-throws in the fourth quarter and his constant jab stepping made for many other entertaining moments in the rest of the game.  Kudos John.

• And last, but certainly not least was the motivated Ilyasova having his best game in a few.  Widely rumored to be the apple of Indiana’s eye in a Troy Murphy deal, the Bucks power forward dropped in 17 points (7-9 FG) and played his usual pesky style, despite often being matched up with the behemoth Roy Hibbert. Ilyasova’s jumper was looking as silky as ever and his focus was unquestionably there.

Defense

The Bucks went with Bogut on Murphy more often than not as the Pacers went small most of the game.  This worked as well as the Pacers could have imagined, as Bogut had to sprint out at Murphy on the perimeter a number of times and Murphy finished 4-7 on threes.  The downside for the Pacers was that Murphy was only able to grab three rebounds and the Bucks controlled the glass 44-36.

• I was worried about Danny Granger going off, but he seemed less insistent on shooting than I would have figured.  When he was going to the hoop or making plays it was clear he was better than all of his teammates, it just seemed like he wasn’t forcing the issue very often.  If he eventually gets more help that trait will serve him well in the future.  Granger had 21, but wasn’t overwhelming (7-15 FG 7-8 FT).

Final Thoughts

Another game another win, making five in a row total and five in a row on the road for the Bucks.  This one wasn’t as pretty as the few that preceded it, but when it’s all said and done, style points aren’t awarded to NBA teams.  It would have been a classic Buck maneuver to overlook the Pacers in anticipation for a big game with the Heat coming up on Saturday, but there was juuuust enough focus in the fourth to finish them out.

With a day off before Saturday’s oddly timed 2:30 game, the Bucks have a chance to rest up before they try and put a little breathing room between themselves and Miami.

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at

Indiana Pacers (Jim O’Brien) 19-38

Larry Legend has been Lotto Larry for a few years in Indy now.

Date: 2/25/2010

Time: 6:00 (CST)

TV: FS Wisconsin

Matchups

Point Guard

Brandon Jennings vs. Earl Watson

Jennings numbers continue to look pedestrian, but his impact is evident in the success his teammates are having.  Five Bucks scored in double figures Wednesday night and three more scored nine points.  If a team doesn’t have a good point guard, it’s difficult to get that kind of even distribution, even in a blowout.  Jennings always keeps the offense running smooth and didn’t record a turnover against New Orleans.  Jennings’ usage is at 26, his assist rate is right around 30 while his turnover rate is only 12.6.  Let me take Deron Williams as an example of where Jennings is having success.  Williams’ numbers in those categories are as follows, 23.6, 42.7 and 17.2.  If just a few more times nightly, Jennings were to hit an open shooter leading to a successful three-point shot, Jennings could conceivably close in on the first two numbers while keeping his turnover number down.  He’s not all that far off from Williams and if he used a few less possessions statistically, as a point guard he’d be in the class directly below Williams.  That doesn’t say anything about his offensive struggles with shooting, which would bring his overall game down a little further.  Bottom line, Jennings has been a VERY good point guard.

Advantage: Bucks

Shooting Guard

John Salmons vs. Brandon Rush

The last time these teams played I was less than excited about the Charlie Bell/Brandon Rush standoff at the two.  Now?  I’m excited that the Bucks have a clear edge at the shooting guard and should be able to benefit here.  It’s all about attacking the other team where they are weak or have a disadvantage, and the Bucks are going to have an edge at the two.  Salmons has the size to keep Rush from getting anything easy too, which is always nice.  “When John came into the league, he came in primarily as a defender,” said Coach Skiles before Wednesday’s game.  “His shooting and offense have come along as his career has come along.  He knows he’s playing for a team that right now, defense is a priority.  So far so good, he’s embraced that and played very well at that end.  He does have size that we didn’t have.”

Advantage: Bucks

Small Forward

Carlos Delfino vs. Danny Granger

Earlier in the season Delfino had to take on a bigger role than he may have been accustomed to with the Bucks short handed on wing talent.  Now?  Delfino can be a supporting guy, contributing a little bit each night and playing to his strengths.  It’s a role that seems to have been a good fit, especially defensively where Delfino can focus more of his efforts.  Delfino blocked three shots against the Hornets, but he’s averaged nearly two steals a game in the month of February.  He’ll need all the defense he can muster up against Granger.  If Granger gets going, the Pacers can compete, as evidenced by their 10 point win in Houston five days ago.  Granger had 36 in that one and is head and shoulders more talented than the rest of his teammates.

Advantage: Pacers

Power Forward

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute vs. Troy Murphy

So the Bucks have gotten along fine without getting Murphy, huh?  Murphy isn’t a bad match-up for LRMAM and is certainly less imposing than the burly David West was Wednesday.  Murphy is a traditionally much stronger rebounder than West though, so LRMAM may have problems getting to the glass with the ease he did against the Hornets.  It won’t be quite as easy to slither by the aggressive reboudning Murphy.

Advantage: Pacers

Center

Andrew Bogut vs. Roy Hibbert

Bogut’s February numbers: 17.3/11.3/2.8.  Not that he’s an all-star or anything like that.  Redundancy alert.  Anyway, Bogut has had some struggles in back-to-back’s (14.5/9.7/2.4) but he’s averaging 26 points-per-game against the Pacers this year, so something has to give.  He was able to take the fourth quarter off in Wednesday’s game, so the extra rest may get him on track to take heed of his many advantages over Hibbert or as I like to call him, “The Black Aaron Gray.”

Advantage: Bucks

Bench

Jerry Stackhouse, Kurt Thomas, Luke Ridnour and Ersan Ilyasova

vs.

T.J. Ford, Dahntay Jones, Solomon Jones and Luther Head

Solomon Jones or Josh McRoberts? That’s who Jim O’Brien will be looking to if Roy Hibbert has early foul trouble or just no chance against Andrew Bogut.  Do I need to keep going?

Advantage: Bucks

Prediction: Bucks 99 – Pacers 85

Remember when people were picking the Pacers to finish higher than the Bucks this year?  Good times.  This is the soft spot in Milwaukee’s three-game road stretch this weekend, so the Bucks need to jump on the Pacers early and keep them from getting into it.  Granger is the type of player that has long troubled the Bucks and still could to this day.  Stephen Jackson just lit up Milwaukee for 35 and he is a similar player to Granger.  The Pacers’ small forward will be the focus of the Bucks defense all night and as long as Bogut has it going and the Bucks aren’t being careless, they should win going away.

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Many.

Rumors.

I know no one can get enough, so I thought I’d try and keep updating this post to do my best to keep everything together for the next day or so.

• That rumor about Kurt Thomas to the Hawks?  Just a rumor according to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.  I was suspicious of it right away, as Mo Evans didn’t seem an uber-logical fit with the Bucks.  And that was before the AJC alerted me that he has a $2.5 million player option next year.

• Yahoo! Sports notes that the Bucks have had some interest in Al Harrington.  This was reported at 3 AM CST, and that sounds like the kind of thing a GM would think only at 3 AM.

• Chris Broussard reports that the Nuggets contacted Milwaukee about Hakim Warrick and (here’s a shocker … but not really) Kurt Thomas, but talks didn’t go far after the Nuggets revealed that they have nothing to offer for anyone.

• Chad Ford wrote that the Bucks have interest in Chicago’s Tyrus Thomas and may be interested in a shooting guard as well.  John Salmons is on the hook for 5,808,000 next season while Thomas is a restricted free agent with a $6,256,806 qualifying offer.  Those two could be successfully traded for any of the packages the Bucks have looked at with regard to Troy Murphy.

UPDATE

• Drew Gooden? Gooden will reportedly be bought out by the Clippers after his arrival from Washington, freeing him up to pursue other options.  His number one (or one A) option supposedly is the Bucks.  Milwaukee may present an intriguing option for Gooden in the same way it did for Warrick this past off-season: more playing time and more points than others can provide.

• Salmons to the Bucks for Thomas and Francisco Elson?  It’s floating around, though Thomas is playing in Wednesday’s game.  If that deal went through it would open a roster spot for Drew Gooden.

UPDATE

• Mike Dunleavy (Clippers GM not Pacers SG) told the Los Angeles Daily News it is not the Clippers intention to buyout Gooden.  Thus, if the Bucks wanted Gooden they’d have to make a deal with the Clippers, which seems unlikely given the time constraints.

It’s worth noting what teams do NOT have a first round pick in this June’s draft:

L.A. Lakers
Denver Nuggets
Dallas Mavericks
Phoenix Suns
Toronto Raptors (unless it’s in the lottery)
Charlotte Bobcats (unless it’s in the lottery)
New York Knicks

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That’s where I come in.

I’ve constructed a handy guide of the Bucks players most likely to be on the move.  I’ll fill you in on where they could be heading, what the Bucks are looking to get back and why it does or doesn’t make sense.

Luke Ridnour

Rumored Destinations: New York, Indiana, playoff teams?

Ridnour was one of the quiet first half surprises, the kind of guy who likely caught the eye of many scouts, but wasn’t necessarily making headlines in the news.  While Ridnour hasn’t been able to maintain the absurd hallowed 50/40/90 shooting percentages he had earlier in the year, he’s not far off at 48/40/92.  Add those numbers up with his “the little tough guy” demeanor and veteran know how and you have exactly the kind of backup point guard playoff teams covet.  On top of that, Ridnour has an expiring contract worth $6.5 million.

Ridnour’s name has been connected with the New York Knicks, who would presumably like to dump the two remaining years of Jared Jeffries on the Bucks as they match up perfectly with Ridnour.  The Bucks would probably want Jordan Hill to be included in any deal with the Knicks, as they don’t have a first round pick to make taking Jeffries otherwise worth the Bucks while.

The Indiana-Milwaukee rumors have been running wild as of late, with Troy Murphy being the reported apple of Milwaukee’s eye.  Ridnour would be one of the expiring contracts included in that deal and would serve as little more than a cap figure, as Indiana won’t be making a playoff run or keeping him past this season.

A number of playoff possible teams could use an upgrade at the backup point guard spot, Atlanta and Memphis come to mind, but they all lack the assets to matchup with Ridnour’s contract, so they’d need to involve a third team to get a deal done.  Atlanta does have a first round pick that would attract the Bucks.

Kurt Thomas

Rumored Destinations: Portland, Atlanta, Indiana, playoff teams?

Thomas is the do-it-all backup veteran big man.  Playoff tested and mother approved, Thomas is always an attractive option for teams looking to add size come playoff time.  Word is that he can be had for a second round pick, though that may be changing as the Bucks have positioned themselves as a probable candidate for the eighth seed in the East.  Thomas is the Bucks only reliable backup center and while he occasionally fails to enter a game, is an important insurance policy for Andrew Bogut.

Portland has seen their centers do everything short of spontaneously combust this season, as both Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden are done for the year.  They’ve played frequently with undersized five men like Juwan Howard and Dante Cunningham and could use an upgrade.  They have the expiring contract of Travis Outlaw, a young player who has been productive and could be a good fit for the Bucks, that matches up nicely with Thomas’ expiring $3.6 million contract.

Atlanta has reportedly been dangling Mo Evans in front of the Bucks, but they may need to add that first round pick, or at least a second, to entice the Bucks.  Evans provides some athleticism that the Bucks currently lack, but with the more positive than negative play of Jerry Stackhouse since his arrival, the Bucks are less likely to pick up a wing just for the sake of athleticism.  Plus, the Bucks biggest weakness has been getting to the line, something Evans doesn’t really help with his 1.4 FT’s per 36 minutes.

Thomas has also been rumored to be a piece in the ongoing Troy Murphy talks.

It’s possible another playoff contender (Houston? Brian Cook and a first get it done, but they may be too smart for that, so maybe Boston with Brian Scalabrine and a first) could toss their name in the hat simply by giving up a first round pick.

Hakim Warrick

Rumored Destinations: Indiana

Warrick has found himself in and out of the Bucks power forward rotation, sometimes because of his own doing, and sometimes because of the play of his mates.  The sheer number of good but not untouchable by any means power forwards on the Bucks roster leaves them all as possible trade bait.  Warrick’s attractiveness lays in his athleticism and penchant for getting to the free-throw line.  Warrick is a very good attacking scorer off the bench, even if he doesn’t provide much on the defensive end.  He’s also an expiring $3.0 million dollar contract, which has tied him into the Indiana deal.  That doesn’t seem too likely though; Indiana is going to want SOMETHING for their future in return and Warrick would not figure into their plans.  If Ridnour and Thomas are packaged, don’t look for Warrick to be included too.

For a playoff team looking to add scoring punch though, Warrick could probably be had for a first or second round pick.

Joe Alexander

Rumored Destinations: None

Think of Alexander like milk in your coffee.  He’s not the main attraction, but he can make it a little easier to swallow in the end.  That’s the purpose he’ll serve in trades.  Alexander isn’t the focus of any teams calling the Bucks, but he is an expiring $2.6 million contract and is a young player with upside.  He can fill gaps in salaries for teams looking to acquire Thomas or Warrick and may be tossed into a larger deal as a prospect if a team is looking to dump a bigger salary on the Bucks with hopes of getting at least one future asset out of it.

Ersan Ilyasova

Rumored Destinations: Indiana

Ilyasova is the piece that makes the Pacers look at the Bucks when it comes to trading Murphy.  If the Bucks are willing to include Ilyasova, methinks the deal gets done.  Ilyasova has shown a desire to play defense and rebound, while including touch and shooting ability at the offensive end.  A lot of players can play one end of the court in the NBA, but not many are capable of giving a team stellar production on both sides.  At only 22 with two years left on his contract, Ilyasova has serious upside while coming in at roughly $9 million less than Murphy.  For a cost cutting team and rebuilding team like Indiana, he’s the piece that makes a deal go.  They don’t dump Murphy unless they get a quality young player back.

For the Bucks, they have to weigh the upside of getting a more consistent Troy Murphy for two years at an inflated price versus having a developing and inconsistent Ilyasova for the next three.  While Murphy is as good a rebounder and a better shooter, Ilyasova is the superior defender and higher upside player.   Trading for Murphy indicates a “win now” philosophy has resurfaced in Milwaukee, but the question is, does the trade for Murphy guarantee the Bucks a better playoff slot?  If it doesn’t, gambling that two years of Murphy is better than three years (and then who knows how many more) of Ilyasova isn’t worth it.  I get the feeling that Milwaukee recognizes this.

Final Thoughts

I can’t tell you whether or not the Bucks will make a trade on or before Thursday’s trade deadline.  Only John Hammond holds that knowledge.  The Bucks at the very least have some options.  In any event, don’t expect the Bucks to take on any contracts that extend past two years and only expect someone the Bucks think will put them over the top in regards to playoff position if it’s a player with a year left after this season.  The Bucks don’t want to take on big money, as is the case with most teams in the league.  Cases can be made in favor of some trades and against a few others, but the Bucks must keep an eye towards the future on any deal they do.  Judging from what Hammond has done thus far, I don’t expect that will be an issue.

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Inactives: Michael Redd, Francisco Elson and Joe Alexander

Vs.

Indiana Pacers (Jim O’Brien) 18-32

Inactives:Tyler Hansbrough, Jeff Foster and Earl Watson

Date: 2/6/2010

Time: 7:30

TV: Nah

Matchups

Point Guard

Brandon Jennings vs. A.J. Price

The rookie matchup to end all rookie matchups, JENNINGS V. PRICE.  Okay, so not really.  Price’s rise from late second round pick to starting point guard on a bad Eastern Conference team hasn’t been a popular story, but is intriguing nonetheless.  With Earl Watson out after a death in the family, Price got his first start on Friday against the Pistons.  Price can hit an open three, but often won’t burn anyone from deep, he’s a fairly consistent 33 percent shooter from deep.  He probably won’t see more than 25 minutes or so, as T.J. Ford has come back with a vengeance or something like that.  After being banished to the bench for some time, Ford got some minutes on Friday and made the most of his time hitting five of seven shots and dropping five assists.  Either way, Jennings shouldn’t have his hands full with them on either end.

Advantage: Bucks

Shooting Guard

Charlie Bell vs. Brandon Rush

Don’t expect a lot of fireworks out of this matchup, as both Bell and Rush fill the role of defensive player who can shoot a three if left open.  Neither creates much and both shoot fewer than two shots a game at the rim, both hitting roughly half of them.  Alas, the three-point shot is a valuable weapon, so two unassuming, typically not-so-crucial players like Bell and Rush could prove important when this is all said and done.  And of course, Rush has a nice size advantage over Bell, so he could slide over and guard Carlos Delfino or anyone else if need be.

Advantage: Pacers

Small Forward

Carlos Delfino vs. Danny Granger

Granger is the best player on the Pacers and that cannot be questioned.  What CAN be questioned is whether or not he’s good enough to be the best player on a team that actually matters.  Bucks fans can relate to this by replacing the name Danny Granger with the name Michael Redd.  Like Redd once did, Granger has improved his scoring average each year he’s been in the league and like Redd, Granger has shot threes very well in the early part of his career.  And like Redd, Granger hasn’t played on any teams that have been very good since he’s taken on a more active role.  Granger has shown signs of slippage lately though; he averaged only 20 points a night in January and shot less than 40 percent for the month.  Fortunately for Granger, the Bucks have often been the cure for woes that ale athletic swing men. What bodes well for the Bucks though, is that the Pacers have no one else that Luc Richard Mbah a Moute need be very worried about, so he may end up with extended minutes on Granger.

Advantage: Pacers

Power Forward

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute vs. Troy Murphy

Troy Murphy – A Chart

Stop him from shooting the three up top and you will be successful.

Advantage: Pacers

Center

Andrew Bogut vs. Roy Hibbert

I haven’t heard anything that would indicate that Bogut won’t be playing Saturday, so I’ll operate under the assumption that the migraine has subsided and hope he’ll give it a go.  I’m sure if he’s anywhere near ready, Bogut will find a way to get on the court to tangle with the Pacers again.  His first ever 30-point game came earlier this season courtesy of the Pacers and Hibbert.  Hibbert is no match for Bogut, as he has nowhere near the necessary quickness to stick with Bogut off the face up game.  Hibbert has some length, but once Bogut gets it going he’s been able lately to score on pretty much anyone.  It may actually work in Bogues favor that he missed most of Friday’s game, as he won’t be doing a back-to-back and should have fresh legs to throw at Hibbert and the Pacers.

Advantage: Bucks

Bench

Luke Ridnour, Kurt Thomas, Hakim Warrick, Ersan Ilyasova and Jerry Stackhouse

Vs.

T.J. Ford, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Dahntay Jones

The Pacers actually have a decent looking bench until you get four or five into it.  After those three things fall off considerably.  This is saying a lot when we’re talking about a fall from the likes of Dahntay Jones.  The Bucks bench stepped up again against the Knicks and will have another big advantage against the Pacers.  Depth and many contributors have been hallmarks of Bucks wins and it could be the case again.

Advantage: Bucks

Prediction: Bucks 104 – Pacers 89

On the road in the second game of a back-to-back against a team coming home off their first successful road trip of the year; that doesn’t sound good for the Pacers.  Toss in a rested Andrew Bogut and a confident Brandon Jennings on the evening of his own bobblehead and things get worse for Indy.  The overall talent comparison indicates that the Pacers aren’t as far off from the Bucks as I suspected in positional matchups, but when the Bucks have advantages they are very significant.  The Bucks would be wise to really attempt to expose the Bogut and Jennings matchups to their fullest.

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So the 0-7 finish the Bucks had at the free throw line Monday night was properly particularly devastating for their coach to watch.

And it’s unfortunate that the once again unacceptable free throw shooting takes away from the positives that this game brought.  Andrew Bogut had the best game of his career, dominating Roy Hibbert and everyone else the Pacers threw at him en route to 31 points and 18 rebounds.  And Bogut was able to cede control of the ending to Brandon Jennings, who had another frigid looking shooting night at 7-19, but hit a three and fall-away jumper in the last two minutes that helped give the Bucks just enough breathing room.

And that’s how everyone envisions the Bucks being successful, ride Andrew Bogut relentlessly all game and then let Jennings handle the ball and make plays in the fourth quarter, it’s the perfect big man/little man set up.  And for one night the Bucks had it going.

And still, Milwaukee almost blew the game.

Sigh.

Offense

• I feel like I’m constantly getting a never ending stream of text messages about how bad Michael Redd is at this point, but if you look at his final line and changed his name to something else, he doesn’t stand out as being bad at all.  Rather, his plus eight looks fairly nice.  Don’t let it fool you into thinking it was all roses and rainbows for Redd on Monday though, he still takes DIFFICULT shots and apparently is incapable of shooting a free throw.  On Twitter, mAndersonMN suggested that it may be do to his recent knee problems, that he’s not getting the necessary knee bend into the shot and inevitably coming up short.  A good theory and something I’ll try and delve into further when the Bucks return home Wednesday.  One thing I’ve noticed Redd doing that I do like, has been his recent interest in aggressive defense.  He’s had a few steals this year where he gambles a little, but pokes it free off another man; he did it to Kobe and now Troy Murphy Monday.

• Rotation roulette continues.  Charlie Bell sat for the entire first half, entered the game two minutes into the third quarter and stayed in the rest of the game.  With good reason too.  In Bell’s ten third quarter minutes, he was 2-2 from behind the arc, scored six points and the Bucks outscored Indiana by eight.  In the fourth, Bell had a steal and a block but was apart of the parade of questionable free throw misses in the last minute.  Bell’s first half minutes went to Jodie Meeks who remains mysteriously incapable of connecting on open three’s.  Even if Meeks is flying around making plays, grabbing rebounds and playing exceptional defense it will never make up for it when he’s not making three’s.  His position requires the making of open three-point shots.  The Bucks entire offense relies on that position hitting those shots, so if they aren’t going in it doesn’t really matter what else he’s doing.

• Bogut was aggressive and hitting early, so it looked like he was on track to have a good night, but rarely do we get to see the Australian hit for 30.  Rarely as in we’ve never seen that before.  Congratulations to Bogut on his career high 31 points and extra congratulations on getting 18 rebounds to go along.  That kind of aggressiveness and commitment from the rest of the Bucks on getting the ball to Bogut down low will go a long way towards getting the Bucks some more wins in the future.  Bogut’s game relies largely on touch and feel rather than his force of nature, so it’s not easy for him to shoot 14-19 like it may be for a Dwight Howard, so when he has it going it’s important it’s recognized and capitalized on.

Defense

• So Michael Redd’s return to the starting line-up meant Luc Richard Mbah a Moute’s return to the bench.  I know Skiles is thinking that LRMAM’s versatility is valuable off the bench and allows for more flexibility, as he can come in for Ersan, Redd or Carlos Delfino but it’s still hard to believe he hasn’t earned a starting spot and 30 minutes of tick (playing time) a night.  He’s the team’s best defender and finished yesterday with a plus 14.  Mike Dunleavy struggled out of the blocks Monday, but when LRMAM came in he didn’t do the Pacers best offensive option any favors.

• While the Bucks absolutely should have been up more than three as the game wound down, the plus side was their defense as the clocked ticked away.  They did give up an offensive rebound to Tyler Hansbrough, who proceeded to punch Andrew Bogut in the stomach and dunk, but whenever a team can force T.J. Ford into two crucial three-point attempts with the game winding down, that’s something worth feeling good about.

Final Thoughts

This is a double rarity: a Milwaukee road win, in a three point game nonetheless.  While it’s fun to say the Bucks showed character or “figured out” how to win a close one for once, it really was just a matter of the ball bouncing their ways more than it did not for once.  If Ford hits one of those miraculous three’s, and the way things have gone the last three games I’m surprised he didn’t, who knows what happens.  But, for all the ugliness that was the Bucks finish in this one, the two facts in the previous sentence still stand out.  After three straight tough losses that left everyone questioning where things stood for the Bucks, this is at least a momentary bright spot.

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