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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Ray Allen's big shots backed up Sam Cassell's
big words, and the Milwaukee Bucks made the Eastern Conference
playoff race very interesting.
Allen scored 33 points and Cassell added 18 points and eight
assists as the energized Bucks beat the Magic 104-87 Monday night,
moving Milwaukee one game behind Orlando for the East's final
postseason berth.
|  | | Milwaukee's Sam Cassell drives to the hoop, drawing the foul from Orlando's Pat Garrity. |
The ninth-place Bucks and eighth-place Magic both have five
games left, and the teams meet again in Orlando next Monday. The
victory also was Milwaukee's third straight against the Magic this
season, giving the Bucks the tiebreaker edge.
Cassell, who guaranteed the Bucks would win, verbally goaded the
Magic all night in an intense, emotional game for both teams.
Shoves, stares and technical fouls were in abundance as Milwaukee
won while playing an unusually physical style.
"It was something that we had to do," Cassell said. "It
wasn't a bold statement that I made. I was just saying that we
can't have any slip-ups now."
Allen carried the offensive load, burying jumper after jumper
with defenders in his face.
"Tonight we just came out hitting," Allen said. "We know the
hype that has been around Orlando, and we wanted people to take
notice of us."
Milwaukee (38-39) is right behind Orlando (39-38) after being
three games out of the playoff picture a week ago. Detroit's loss
to Minnesota on Monday night also allowed the Bucks to pull within
two games of the seventh-place Pistons.
The Bucks, who won for the sixth time in eight games, played
with an intensity they have shown only fleetingly this season,
throwing down dunks, making scintillating passes and playing solid
defense.
"I was proud of how we played," Bucks coach George Karl said.
"We played with a lot of spark, a lot of smarts. It's good to get
excited about a game."
Orlando, which had 13 turnovers in the first three quarters,
fell behind by 23 points in the third quarter before making a late
comeback.
The Magic, who were playing their third game in four nights,
trimmed Milwaukee's lead to 13 points several times in the fourth
quarter. But Allen and Tim Thomas hit big shots as the Bucks pulled
away to the delight of a small but vocal Bradley Center crowd.
Ron Mercer had 14 points -- but only two after halftime -- to lead
the Magic, who lost for just the second time in 10 games. Darrell
Armstrong had 13 points while shooting 5-of-15. Orlando didn't hit
a 3-pointer until nine minutes were left in the game, and the Magic
shot 35 percent from the field.
"I don't think we had much energy," Orlando coach Doc Rivers
said. "They played well, they played desperate, and it looked like
we were exhausted."
Tempers flared on several occasions. Cassell and referee Bennett
Salvatore engaged in a shouting match, and both coaches worked
their sidelines and the officials aggressively.
John Amaechi and Ervin Johnson exchanged angry words in the
third quarter, and Ben Wallace and Scott Williams also challenged
each other moments later. Cassell, Williams and Thomas, who shoved
Pat Garrity after the two became tangled under the basket, all
received technical fouls.
The highly contentious atmosphere seemed to bring out the best
in Milwaukee. The Bucks shot 54 percent in the first half and had
seven players with at least seven points.
"They have the tiebreaker now, but we're still in good shape,"
said Garrity, who scored four points after getting 32 the last time
the Magic played in Milwaukee. "Now is not the time to panic."
Orlando closes the season with games against Boston, New Jersey,
Miami and Toronto in addition to the final meeting with Milwaukee.
The Bucks have Cleveland, Charlotte and two games with Washington
on their schedule.
"We've got three games this week before we can even think about
playing them down there on Monday," Karl said.
Game notes
Even the biggest game of the Bucks' season couldn't draw a
big crowd to the Bradley Center. The upper deck was two-thirds
empty at game time. ... Milwaukee native Rick Majerus watched the
game from courtside, and the Utah coach had difficulty deciding who
to root for. A former Bucks assistant coach and friend of Karl,
Majerus also coached Rivers while the two were at Marquette in the
late 1970s, and coached Magic center Michael Doleac at Utah. ...
Karl protested an illegal defense call by referee Jim Clark in the
first quarter, saying, "Why'd you call it so quick, Jimmy?" Clark
replied, "That's my job."
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Orlando Clubhouse
Milwaukee Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 99
Atlanta 94
Philadelphia 96
Miami 80
Toronto 112
Cleveland 103
Charlotte 107
Washington 105
Milwaukee 104
Orlando 87
Minnesota 102
Detroit 100
New York 83
Indiana 81
LA Lakers 106
Seattle 103
Portland 90
Utah 86
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