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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- The methods change. The player remains the same. Eddie Jones keeps finding ways to make major
contributions for the Charlotte Hornets.
Six days after he had a career-high nine steals to help
Charlotte defeat Indiana, Jones scored 33 points -- two short of his
career best -- in the Hornets' 117-111 victory over the Milwaukee
Bucks on Wednesday night.
|  | | Derrick Coleman flushes in two of his 10 points. |
"When we need a big hoop, he provides it. When we need a steal,
he provides that," coach Paul Silas said. "I'm happy I have him
on my side."
Jones made 12 of 18 field-goal attempts and added five rebounds
on a night when the Hornets won for the first time in three games
by overcoming Milwaukee's 83 percent shooting in the third quarter.
"We knew they were going to make a run, so we weathered the
storm," Jones said. "That's all it was -- accept their punch, keep
running and keep coming back at them. We got it going in the fourth
quarter when it really counted."
The Hornets secured the victory by shooting 58 percent in the
fourth quarter and holding the Bucks to 35 percent. Charlotte took
control midway through the quarter by holding Milwaukee scoreless
on four consecutive possessions and eight of the last 11.
"That's what we expect. We're well-rested at that time. There's
no reason we shouldn't play defense," Silas said of his starters.
"That was huge for us. We had to do something good at that point
if we wanted to win."
The Hornets, who wound up shooting 52 percent and improved to
3-0 at home, also got 20 points from David Wesley and 18 apiece
from Bobby Phills and Anthony Mason. Wesley had 10 assists and
Mason added eight assists and eight rebounds.
Glenn Robinson and Ray Allen had 24 points each to lead the
Bucks, who came in averaging an NBA-best 109.8 points. Sam Cassell
added 21 points and nine assists for Milwaukee, which scored 42
points in the third quarter.
"We couldn't have played any better in the third quarter,"
coach George Karl said. "We hit a lot of shots, but then we just
ran out of gas in the fourth."
There were four ties and a lead change in the fourth before
Mason hit two free throws to put Charlotte up 102-100 with 5:36
remaining. After a miss by Robinson on the other end, Jones put up
a 3-pointer that banged off the back of the rim, went 10 feet in
the air and swished through.
A 3-pointer by Wesley made it 108-100 at the 3:31 mark, and the
Bucks were unable to get closer than five until Allen hit a
17-footer that cut it to 113-109 with 40 seconds left.
Charlotte sealed it by making four of five free throws the rest
of the way.
Milwaukee rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit by hitting 15
of 18 field-goal attempts in the third quarter, including 5-of-6
from 3-point range. Robinson led the Bucks with 13 points, Cassell
added nine and Allen had eight, putting Milwaukee up 90-88 heading
into the fourth.
"Our defense is what killed us in the first place," Robinson
said. "When we made that run in the third quarter, we should have
been up by 12 instead of just fighting back. But our defensive
intensity wasn't there in the first half."
Game notes
Charlotte built a 14-point lead in the second quarter
thanks to a 13-2 run in which Mason had seven points, three
rebounds and three assists. ... Tim Thomas, the Bucks' top-scoring
reserve, sat out with a sprained ankle. ... Charlotte rookie guard
Baron Davis, diagnosed Monday with a piece of torn cartilage in his
left knee, played 12 minutes and had six points, five rebounds and
three assists to go with two turnovers. ... Milwaukee lost in
Charlotte for the fourth time in six games.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Milwaukee Clubhouse
Charlotte Clubhouse
RECAPS
Detroit 110
Boston 92
Seattle 109
Washington 95
Charlotte 117
Milwaukee 111
Phoenix 104
New Jersey 89
Orlando 110
Philadelphia 105
LA Lakers 89
Houston 88
Vancouver 102
Atlanta 97
San Antonio 99
LA Clippers 94
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