|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME FLOW
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The Charlotte Hornets hit rock-bottom. The
Milwaukee Bucks hit just about everything they shot.
That collision resulted in the worst loss in Hornets franchise
history.
Ray Allen scored 26 points to lead the Bucks' fearsome offensive
attack as Milwaukee trounced Charlotte 137-87 Monday night.
The 50-point blowout was 10 points larger than Charlotte's
previous franchise-worst loss. The Hornets were listless and sloppy
in losing their sixth straight game, concluding a six-game road
trip without a win for the first time in franchise history.
"It can't get much worse for us right now," Anthony Mason
said. "We need a whole lot of something different right now, and I
have no idea what the problem is. We're not used to this as a
team."
The Hornets were almost immediately overwhelmed by the Bucks.
Milwaukee's perimeter offensive passing game was clicking, and the
Bucks took dozens of wide-open shots.
"I personally think we should score like that all the time, but
it was good to see everything working for us," said Glenn
Robinson, who celebrated his 27th birthday with 13 points and a
short night of work. "All we had to do was hit wide-open shots."
Milwaukee won its sixth straight home game for the club's
longest home winning streak since February 1992. The Bucks, who won
a double-overtime thriller against the Wizards two nights ago, got
an easy warmup for Wednesday's showdown with the Los Angeles
Lakers.
A sampling of the carnage:
Milwaukee's 55 field goals and 46 assists were both the highest
totals in the NBA this season.
The Bucks set a franchise record with 13 3-pointers while
shooting 64 percent from the floor, including 57 percent on
3-pointers.
All 10 Bucks who played scored at least eight points, and seven
finished in double figures. Six Bucks had at least four assists.
Milwaukee never trailed. The Bucks led by 22 at halftime, 34
after three quarters and 56 late in the fourth quarter.
The Bucks shot 60 percent in the first half, and their reserves
made 74 percent (17-of-23) of their shots in the fourth quarter.
Milwaukee outrebounded Charlotte 43-30, outassisted them 46-24
and forced 17 Hornets turnovers while blocking seven shots, four by
Scott Williams.
Allen, who is expected to be among the three players who will be
named Tuesday to the U.S. Olympic team, was 10-for-16 from the
field and had eight assists. He helped the Bucks get a 69-47 lead
at halftime which they expanded to 100-66 after three.
The Bucks' barrage of outside shooting included a season-high 21
points from Tim Thomas, who hit six 3-pointers. Sam Cassell added
18 points and 12 assists, while Ervin Johnson added eight points
and 13 rebounds.
"Feel sorry for them?" Cassell asked. "Hell, no. They'd do it
to us if they had the chance. It's nothing personal."
Charlotte hasn't won since beating Milwaukee on Dec. 29. Derrick
Coleman, who was slowed by the flu, and Mason had six points apiece
and didn't seem interested in the guarding the Bucks' outside
shooters, while Eddie Jones missed his 10th straight game with a
knee injury.
"This was just an old-fashioned butt-kicking," Hornets coach
Paul Silas said. "It was the last road game, and they were ready
for us. They made every shot, it seemed."
The onslaught continued after halftime, as the Bucks scored 19
points in the first six minutes of the third quarter to take an
88-58 lead. Only the shooting of David Wesley, who had 23 points
for Charlotte, kept the game from getting ridiculous.
But in the fourth quarter, with Wesley on the bench, the Hornets
collapsed. Milwaukee went on a 24-2 run to open the quarter asRobert Traylor and Haywoode Workman combined for 19 points.
Game notes
When Allen hit a 3-pointer with 2:07 left in the first half
to give Milwaukee a 62-42 lead, Charlotte coach Paul Silas signaled
for a timeout and both benches got up. But the officials didn't see
Silas, and Wesley hit a 3-pointer for the Hornets. ... The biggest
win in Bucks history was a 59-point beating of the Pistons in 1978
(143-84). ... As the Bucks' lead grew, Milwaukee fans began yelling
for J.R. Reid, banished to the Bucks' bench by George Karl. Reid
and Dale Ellis didn't play.
| |
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Charlotte Clubhouse
Milwaukee Clubhouse
RECAPS
Vancouver 112 Boston 103
Cleveland 111 LA Clippers 106
New Jersey 100 Orlando 94
Milwaukee 137 Charlotte 87
San Antonio 93 Utah 86
Portland 107 Dallas 94
LA Lakers 130 Denver 95
|