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ORLANDO


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TORONTO


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UTAH
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Wednesday, May 30

Bucks don't want to risk a Game 5
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. -- By missing more than 60 percent of their shots in Game 3, the Milwaukee Bucks also missed a chance to sweep the Orlando Magic in the first round.

Entering Game 4 on Tuesday night, the Bucks are shooting only 41 percent from the field in the series, well below their 45.8 percent accuracy during the regular season.

"Normally, teams that try to outshoot us, it's not a great strategy, but we're not shooting the ball as well as we're capable," Milwaukee coach George Karl said. "Right now, it's working for them, so the pendulum is in their court."

The Bucks know that if they don't find their shooting stroke, they risk having to go back to Milwaukee for a do-or-die fifth game.

"We don't want to go to Game 5, where anything can happen," Bucks center Ervin Johnson said. "I've been in that situation before, and all of us know it's not a good feeling going into Game 5. The ball could fall the wrong way and they could win the series. We don't want to get to that point."

But the Magic, trailing 2-1, also are feeling pressure.

"We're in the same situation we were Saturday night -- lose and go home," said Orlando guard Pat Garrity, the team's second-leading playoff scorer with 13.3 points per game.

Orlando will play Game 4 without guard Dee Brown, suspended because he left the bench during a brief scuffle Saturday.

Brown, who also was fined $5,000, is averaging six points while shooting 6-for-11 on 3-pointers.

In Milwaukee's 121-116 overtime loss in Orlando on Saturday night, the Bucks shot 39.8 percent and had 15 turnovers.

"That's typical of how we've been passing the ball as far as us not getting good shots and not playing well together," said Ray Allen, Milwaukee's leading postseason scorer with 24 points per game. "Even though we won two games, we still didn't do it the way we want. When you shoot 41 percent, we're holding ourselves back."

Indicative of the Bucks' shooting woes is Glenn Robinson. He's been held to an average of 14 points, eight less than his season average, and is shooting only 34 percent.

"I need to come out and play Glenn Robinson's game," he said. "Most important, as a team, we have to play where we move the ball and get open shots for each other. I think we tried to do a little too much one-on-one last game. We have to do a better job moving the ball."

But Robinson hasn't been shooting in a vacuum. Tracy McGrady is doing an excellent job of shutting down the Bucks forward, remarkable considering he's averaging 36.7 points.

"He's guarding Robinson and scoring. That's a heck of burden," Orlando coach Doc Rivers said. "I think guarding Glenn Robinson alone would wear you out, but playing 50 minutes and scoring 42 points (as McGrady did in Saturday's win), that's pretty amazing."

The Magic also are coping with the poor play of one of their top scorers -- guard Mike Miller. The rookie, who averaged 11.9 points during the regular season, has made only one-third of his shots while averaging 8.7.

Rivers said Miller has been performing like a first-year player, battling nerves and foul trouble.

"I've taken the same shots that I've taken all year; they're just not falling," said Miller, who was 3-of-12 on 3-pointers after leading all rookies with a .417 3-point percentage.

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