|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME FLOW
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- In the span of 48 minutes Wednesday night, two facts became abundantly clear: The Milwaukee Bucks have snapped out of their early-season slumber, while the New Jersey Nets remain a team in crisis.
|  | | Jason Caffey of the Bucks gets a lift of Lucious Harris. |
Ray Allen scored 30 points,
including five straight midway through the fourth quarter after a comfortable lead had dwindled, in leading the Bucks to a 109-87 victory over the injury-ravaged
Nets on Wednesday night.
New Jersey lost its ninth straight, extending the longest losing
streak in the NBA this season.
"It can't get any worse," Nets guard Lucious Harris said.
Facing a New Jersey team that was without starters Stephon
Marbury (sprained ankle) and Kendall Gill (knee tendinitis), the
Bucks opened a 17-point lead in the first quarter and cruised the
rest of the way to win for the fifth time in six games after a 3-9
start.
Glenn Robinson added 27 points and Sam Cassell had 13 points and 14 assists.
"We got off to a 1-6 start and everybody panicked, but we're
not even 25 games into the season yet," Cassell said. "There's
still a lot of basketball left and everything will work itself
out."
The Bucks' 24-point lead was cut to 12 with 6:26 left after the
Nets went on a 10-2 run, but Lindsey Hunter hit a 3-pointer and
Allen added a drive through four defenders and a 3-pointer to make
it 100-80.
"We're getting a taste of winning now, and that's the most
important thing," Allen said.
Sherman Douglas, starting in place of Marbury, scored a
season-high 18 points. Marbury, who missed his second straight
game, will try to return Friday against Phoenix. Gill is
day-to-day, too, although coach Byron Scott said he doubted Gill
will play against the Suns.
Robinson had 12 points and Cassell had five assists in a 27-10
run that gave Milwaukee a 37-20 lead late in the first quarter. The
Nets were booed off the court during a second-quarter timeout after
falling behind 51-27, then responded with a 13-1 run.
The Nets also had a 10-1 run to close the third quarter, making
it 83-69, but the Bucks got their lead back to 20 on a 2-footer by
Allen with 9:34 left before New Jersey made its final charge.
"I believe we will turn it around," Scott said. "I told them tonight they're at an all-time low."
Game notes
The Nets closed last season with an 11-game losing streak.
... Bucks forward Jerome Kersey sat out with a fractured left
wrist. The team wants to wait and see if Kersey can play with a
soft cast on his hand before deciding whether to place him on the
injured list. ... Nets center Jim McIlvaine made his first start of
the season and had two points and three rebounds in 23 minutes. ...
The Nets dropped to 0-12 when trailing at halftime.
|
|
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Milwaukee Clubhouse
New Jersey Clubhouse
 FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
George Karl Official Site
RECAPS
LA Clippers 93
Washington 88
Charlotte 91
Indiana 88
Miami 95
Denver 78
Milwaukee 109
New Jersey 87
Cleveland 92
Chicago 88
Dallas 94
New York 85
Portland 95
Toronto 88
Detroit 112
Seattle 99
Golden State 125
LA Lakers 122
|
