MILWAUKEE BUCKS = NBA CHAMPIONS!!!

Hello all you out there, and welcome to Season 2 of my Milwaukee Bucks franchise. I finished a disappointing 11-18 in the first season, and I'm still having nightmares about that 6 game losing streak that put me under late in the year (j/k ).

Now for a quick rundown of my season settings:
"Short" season length (29 games)
10 minute quarters
CPU-Assist= ON
Injuries=ON
Playoff Format: 5-7-7-7 (this is Live 2000- the 7-7-7-7 format didn't start till a few years after)
CPU-Initiated Trades (computer teams trade with each other & with me)= ON
I started with Alexboom's latest roster, and throughout the course of the season many trades and signings were made, plus for this season I added the significant rookies (basically first-rounders) to their teams.

OK, I think that's it. I hope you enjoy this season. I will try hard to make it enjoyable, and also to do much better with the Bucks!

Last edited by bullsfan009 on Mon Nov 14, 2005 11:54 pm, edited 32 times in total.

First I'll get you ready for the new season with the offseason activities around the league.

Retiring Players
Darrell Armstrong, Mark Bryant, Elden Campbell, Cedric Ceballos, Chris Childs (I had him on the Bucks last season), Antonio Davis, Dale Davis, Terry Davis, Greg Foster, Dean Garrett, Andrew Gaze, Horace Grant, Jim Jackson, Reggie Jordan, Toni Kukoc, George McCloud, Eric Murdock, Dikembe Mutombo, Charles Oakely, Sean Rooks, Felton Spencer, Chris Whitney, Kevin Willis (about time! )

Old Faces in New Places- Free Agent Signings & New Rookies
*Atlanta signed: Aleksander Radojevic, Marvin Williams (rookie), Salim Stoudamire (rookie), and Andrew Bogut (rookie- he was drafted in real life by the BUCKS but I put him on the Hawks to make it more challenging)
*Boston signed: Devean George and Gerald Green (rookie)
*Charlotte signed: Raymond Felton (rookie) and Sean May (rookie)
*Dallas signed: Keon Clark
*Denver signed: James Jones, Julius Hodge (rookie), and Linus Kleiza (rookie)
*Detroit signed: Donyell Marshall, Jaime Fieck, and Jason Maxiel (rookie)
*Golden State signed: Bobby Jackson and Ike Diogu (rookie)
*Houston signed: Luther Head (rookie)
*Indiana signed: Danny Granger (rookie)
*L.A. Clippers signed: Terrence Morris
*L.A. Lakers signed: Bonzi Wells and Andrew Bynum (rookie)
*Memphis signed: Chris Anderson, Andrew Declercq, and Hakim Warrick (rookie)
*Miami signed: Wayne Simien (rookie)
*Minnesota signed: Gary Payton, Tony Bobbitt, and Rashad McCants (rookie)
*New Jersey signed: Gary Trent, Eddie Robinson, Isaiah Rider, and Antoine Wright (rookie)
*New York signed: Channing Frye (rookie) and David Lee (rookie)
*New Orleans signed: Chris Paul (rookie)
*Orlando signed: Bryce Drew and Fran Vasquez (rookie)
*Philadelphia signed: John Wallace, Andre Barrett, and Bo Outlaw
*Phoenix signed: Tariq Abdul-Wahad and Tyrone Nesby
*Portland signed: Martell Webster (rookie) and Jarrett Jack (rookie)
*Sacramento signed: Corsley Edwards, Jelani McCoy, and Francisco Garcia (rookie)
*Toronto signed: Arthur Johnson, Stromile Swift, Charlie Villanueva (rookie), and Joey Graham (rookie)
*Utah signed: Deron Williams (rookie)
*Washington signed: Damon Stoudamire and Cedric Henderson
ALL OTHER FREE AGENTS RESIGNED WITH THEIR TEAMS- THE LIST IS TOO LONG TO PUT HERE

Now for the Bucks' offseason moves. These were all thoughtful transactions that were designed to build the team a certain way. Here they are:

Milwaukee Bucks Offseason Moves
The Bucks re-sign Dan Gadzuric for $2,842,600 per year over 7 years.
Commentary: Gadzuric had a really low asking price, so I quickly signed him to a 7-year deal. He's a very good defensive center, although he has no offensive game. That's ok, though, as Dwight Howard is capable of handling the scoring load inside. It's nice to have a player like Gadzuric who you don't have to worry about him scoring, and you know he's going to grab a lot of rebounds and block lots of shots.

The Bucks re-sign Marcus Fizer for $2,342,400 per year over 4 years.
Commentary: I did a sign-and-trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves, see below. The T-Wolves really like Marcus's toughness, strength, scoring and rebounding abilities.

Bucks sign FA Trajan Langdon (SG, 6’3”, 195, from Duke) (73 OVR) for $2,284,900 over 4 years.
Commentary: Does anyone remember this guy at Duke? Wow, what a shooter! Langdon's rated a 91 in threes, so I hope he can come off the bench and light it up from downtown. It's a great thing to have a three-point specialist on your team.

Bucks sign FA Ryan Bowen (SF, 6’10”, 220, 69 OVR) for $349,458 over 1 year.
Commentary: Ryan gives the Bucks size, and versatility. He struggles offensively, but is a really good defender. (Remember in the real NBA playoffs this past season? Rockets vs Mavericks? Ryan guarded Dirk Nowitzki, and really made Dirk struggle.) I signed him to a 1-year, minimum contract, so we'll see how it works out.

Bucks sign Nate Robinson (rookie) for $1,750,000 per year over 4 years
I took him instead of Andrew Bogut- fair deal I believe. Didn’t give Bogut to the Knicks because they drafted Channing Frye, and the Hawks went 4-25 last season so they could really use a quality big man. I love Robinson, and you'll soon be hearing about him in the real NBA if you haven't already. (He's dominating summer league!)

Bucks trade Maurice Williams to the S.A. Spurs for Beno Udrih.
Commentary: I've always liked Udrih- he's just a natural point guard with very good passing and shooting abilities. He does struggle on defense, though, but I can balance that out at the PG with Nate Robinson. Williams was my starting PG last year, but didn't fare very well.

Bucks trade Marcus Fizer and Calvin Booth to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Trenton Hassell and Vlade Divac.
Commentary: This is another move I've been plotting for awhile, and part of the plan to get the Bucks into a very good defensive team. Hassell is one of the better perimeter defenders in the entire NBA. I also got Vlade Divac as part of the trade, in probably the last year before he retires. Vlade's awsome- he's a great post passer, and can shoot and rebound well too.

How does everyone like these offseason moves?

So with these new moves taken into account,
HERE ARE THE SEASON 2 MILWAUKEE BUCKS:

(thanks to alexboom & his website of NBA Live 2000 resources for the cyberfaces) - www.nbalive2000.tk

Bowen, Ryan: #40, 6’10”, 220 pounds, 5 years pro, $349,348/1 year remaining (DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST)

Collins, Jarron: #31, 6’11", 252 pounds, $1,700,000/4 years remaining (HE'S A BIG MAN)

Divac, Vlade: #13, 7’1”, 260 pounds, 16 years pro, $4,903,000/1 year remaining (VETERAN, GREAT PASSER)

Ely, Melvin: #2, 6'10", 261 pounds, 3 yrs. pro, about $1,700,000 (INSIDE SCORER)

Gadzuric, Dan: #50, 6’11”, 228 pounds, 3 years pro, $2,842,600/7 years remaining (VERY GOOD DEFENSIVE CENTER)

Howard, Dwight: #12, 6’11”, 250 pounds, 1 year pro, $4,179,720/3 years remaining (THE FUTURE)

Jones, Eddie: #6, 6'6", 200 pounds, 11 years pro, $13,455,000/1 year remaining (VETERAN SHOOTER & DEFENDER)

Robinson, Nate: #9, 5’9”, 181 pounds, Rookie, $1,750,000/4 years remaining (FEARLESS ENERGIZER)

Rush, Kareem: #4, 6'6", 3 yrs pro, about $1,500,000 (3-POINT SPECIALIST)

Traylor, Robert: #32, 6’8”, 284 pounds, 7 yrs pro, $1,600,000/1 year remaining (INSIDE SCORER)

Udrih, Beno: #14, 6’3”, 203 pounds, 1 year pro, $1,500,000/3 years remaining (PURE, PASS-FIRST PG)

Wade, Dwyane: #3, 6'4", 203 pounds, 2 years pro, $2,834,160/2 years remaining (THE LEADER)

Salary Cap: $45,000,000
BUCKS TOTAL: $37,398,838
$ UNDER CAP: $7,601,162

Last edited by bullsfan009 on Thu Aug 11, 2005 11:37 am, edited 7 times in total.

up and running already
[cracks knuckles and fingers, sit down and relax for season 2!]

Good luck bullsfan, let's see how is the Bucks situation now with the rookies

COOLmac- have you given up on your dynasty? You haven't posted in a while...

Jermaine ONeal- thanks, I hope it works out.


SUMMER TRAINING
Here an inside look at the summer trainings of the Bucks main three players:

Dwight Howard worked a lot on his post game this past offseason.

Jason Terry was trying to refine his overall game in the summer.

And here's Desmond Mason trying to fine-tune that "J"

NOW LET THE GAMES BEGIN!


Game 1: Milwaukee Bucks (0-0) @ Utah Jazz (0-0)

UT 90, MIL 84
New-Look Bucks Fall Short- Lose First Game, Struggle Offensively But Solid Defensively


UTAH- The new NBA season for the Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz kicked off last night at the Delta Center, as a packed stadium full of Jazz fans witnessed their team win their home opener over the Bucks by a final score of UTAH 90, MILWAUKEE 84.
The Jazz missed the playoffs with a 12-17 record last season, and had major point guard issues that they badly needed to address. So in the NBA Draft they selected PG Deron Williams from Illinois with the third overall selection. Williams is a big, bulky point guard who has the entire repertoire for a good 1 in the NBA: solid passing skills, very good ball handling ability, a high basketball IQ, and a very good shot with three-point range.
Williams displayed it all in his NBA debut game against the Bucks. He scored a game-high 22 points, and also dished out 8 assists. “Stephon Marbury-like numbers in his first game- not bad for a rookie,” Jazz coach Jerry Sloan commented.
For the Bucks, they’re coming off a disappointing 11-18 finish to last season. This year, there are a lot of new faces on the Bucks, as only 6 players returned: Dan Gadzuric, Dwight Howard, Desmond Mason, Jason Terry, Antonio McDyess, and little-used third string PG Reece Gaines. Like Utah, Milwaukee also sought to upgrade its point guard position, and did with 2 new points: Beno Udrih, acquired from San Antonio in exchange for last year’s starter, Maurice Williams, and Nate Robinson, via the draft. Last year’s primary backup PG, Chris Childs, retired.
As far as the point guard position was concerned, there were mixed results to start off this new Bucks season. Udrih, the starter, really struggled shooting the ball (1-7), but handed out 5 assists. Robinson proved himself to be one of the best athletes in the entire league, blowing by his defenders to get into the lane at will. Four times he dished it to a teammate for an assist, and once he took it all the way and threw down an impressive double-pump, 2-handed jam. All the more impressive when you consider Robinson is only 5’9”!
Milwaukee’s leader last season, Jason Terry, struggled through a tough 5-15 shooting night. He showed his versatility and value by still contributing 7 rebounds and 8 assists, though. Starting SF Desmond Mason picked up right where he left off last year with 17 points, and now-second year PF Dwight Howard looked very impressive with 21 points and 8 boards. He looks like he put in a lot of work on his game in the offseason.
As for the game, it was for the most part a defensive struggle between 2 very good defensive teams. It came down to a deciding 4th quarter sequence to determine the victor:
With 1:00 left in the game, Terry hit a driving layup to make it a 85-84 Jazz lead. On the ensuing Jazz possession, Matt Harpring is fouled, and hit both of his free throws to put Utah ahead 87-84 with 45 seconds to go. The Bucks again looked to Terry, who got off a clean look at a three pointer, but missed. The Bucks decided to foul with 32 seconds left, and paid for it- Deron Williams hit 1 of 2 free throws to made it a 2-possession, 4-point lead. This time the Bucks found Beno Udrih for a three, and he missed, and the Jazz hit their free throws from then-on to seal the victory.
“Our execution down the stretch was poor tonight,” Bucks coach Terry Porter remarked. “In retrospect, we should have given the ball in to Dwight, with the way he was playing.”

GAME NOTES
Andrei Kirilenko was great for Utah, notching a double-double and also 2 blocks and 2 steals. He made the All-Defensive Team last season.

GAME STATS

MILWAUKEE
Gadzuric: 4 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast, 2-4 FGs
Howard: 21 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast, 10-17 FGs
Mason: 17 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast, 7-14 FGs
Terry: 11 pts, 7 reb, 8 ast, 5-15 FGs
Udrih: 2 pts, 0 reb, 5 ast, 1-7 FGs
McDyess: 6 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 3-7 FGs
Robinson: 6 pts, 1 reb, 4 ast, 3-4 FGs
Divac: 8 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 3-5 FGs
Langdon: 2 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 1-5 FGs
Bowen: 1 pt, 3 reb, 0 ast, 0-2 FGs
TOTALS: 37-85 FGs (43.5%), 8-10 FTs, 37 REB (7 OFF), 27 AST, 16 FL

UTAH
Okur: 6 pts, 7 reb, 0 ast, 3-6 FGs
Boozer: 18 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast, 8-15 FGs
Kirilenko: 15 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast, 6-12 FGs
Harpring: 13 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 3-18 FGs
Williams: 22 pts, 2 reb, 8 ast, 6-13 FGs
Bell: 2 pts, 4 reb, 0 ast, 1-9 FGs
Humphries: 6 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 3-6 FGs
Eisley: 0 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 0-1 FGs
Giricek: 4 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 2-5 FGs
Borchardt: 4 pts, 3 reb, 0 ast, 2-4 FGs
TOTALS: 34-89 FGs (38.2%), 18-21 FTs, 46 REB (14 OFF), 17 AST, 16 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
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Bucks 18 22 23 21---84
Jazz 24 12 26 28---90
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Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 2-10 (Mason 1-1, Terry 1-4, Langdon 0-3, Bowen 0-1, Udrih 0-1), Utah 4-12 (Kirilenko 2-3, Williams 2-3, Giricek 0-1, Harpring 0-5). Turnovers: Milwaukee 13, Utah 9. Steals: Milwaukee 5 (5 Tied With 1), Utah 10 (Boozer 4). Blocks: Milwaukee 13 (Howard 4, Gadzuric 4), Utah 10 (Kirikenko 2, Borchardt 2).

Highlight of the Game
Meet Nate Robinson, everybody...

BUCKS RECORD: 0-1

Looks like the Bucks are pretty strong in this season, the players are much better than the last season. Too bad you lost this game, but just 1 game doesn't mean nothing...

Jermaine ONeal: Yeah, I really like this team this year, and you're right, one game's just one game. The Bucks come back strong with a win in game 2:

Game #2: Milwaukee Bucks (0-1) @ Golden State Warriors (1-0)

MIL 108, G.S. 107 (O.T.)
Howard Leads the Way- Dominates Down Low, Scores in the Clutch in Bucks’ First Win


OAKLAND, CA- 20,000+ fans in Oakland, California witnessed an electrifying game of NBA basketball last night between the visiting Milwaukee Bucks and hometown Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors got off to a hot start, leading by double digits early in the first quarter. They forced the Bucks to commit 5 turnovers, and held them to just 18 points on less than 30% shooting (8-27). Troy Murphy got off to a great start, scoring 12 points and grabbing 7 rebounds in the period , and giving young Milwaukee bigman Dwight Howard fits on the low block. After one quarter of play, Golden State led by 10, 28 to 18.
In the second, both teams’ offenses got hot, and stayed hot. Milwaukee scored 32 points while shooting 58.3% as a team, and dished out 10 assists. Golden State couldn’t stop speedy Bucks rookie Nate Robinson from getting into the lane whenever he pleased, and Robinson mixed it up by hitting 2 consecutive 3 pointers too. With his efforts along with solid play from Howard and starting PG Beno Udrih, the Bucks came back from down 12 points early in the quarter to trail by just 4 at halftime. They might have taken the lead with the way their offense was clicking if not for a 54.5% shooting quarter for the Warriors. They were led by their young talents Jason Richardson, Josh Smith (last season’s Rookie of the Year, acquired from the Hawks for Mike Dunleavy last December), and rookie Ike Diogu.
The third quarter was totally opposite from the second. Both teams made great adjustments at halftime towards stopping each other, and it showed in the form of a rugged, low-scoring duel. Neither club shot as good as 35% from the field, which is a bad percentage in the first place, and neither team’s assists total exceeded their turnover total. That was the kind of quarter it was- Golden State could only put up a meager 15 points in it, and Milwaukee dropped 19 on the home team to tie the ballgame at 69 entering the fourth quarter.
Bucks coach Terry Porter quoted that he was upset with his teams’ playcalling and decision making in the stretch of their first game, a 90-84 loss to the Utah Jazz. He wasn’t going to let that happen again. “This time, we went to our Inside Triangle offensive scheme, trying to get the ball into Dwight as often as we could. Also, at the 7 minute mark I went with the 4 other guys who I felt could compliment Dwight enough to help us get the victory.”
So, for the last 7 minutes of the fourth, Porter went with a lineup of Dan Gadzuric at center, Howard at the 4, Trenton Hassell at the 3, Desmond Mason at shooting guard, and the point guard was Jason Terry. Terry and Mason were struggling with their shot in the game, but Porter went with them anyway for their defense and experience. It still wasn’t easy, though.
With 1:00 left, a tight ballgame was tied at 89-89 when Gadzuric hit a short layup. On the ensuing Warriors possession, Jason Richardson hit a floater in the lane to make it 91-89, Warriors up by 2. The Bucks turned then to Howard. He caught the ball in favorable position in the paint, got free underneath, and threw down a thunderous dunk with 50 seconds left. His defender, Troy Murphy, showed a lot of poise as he calmly knocked down an 18 footer on the next play, once again putting the Warriors ahead. At that point they led 93-91 with 32 seconds left. Jason Terry brought the ball up and immediately found Howard again, who again delivered with 2 more of his game-high 30 points to tie the game up at 93 with 24.8 seconds left. Both coaches were biting their nails, clenching their fists, and trying to think happy thoughts as they were consumed by an emotional mixture of anguish, nervousness, excitement, and competitiveness.
The Warriors decided to use the entire 24-second shot clock, so the Bucks would have practically no chance of winning the game in regulation. So they burned up time, then got the ball to Jason Richardson, who was hounded by Jason Terry and Trenton Hassell. With the shot and game clocks running out, Richardson hoisted a medium range 14 foot jumper…NO GOOD! It rimmed off, and there was going to be free basketball in Oakland- OVERTIME.
The Warriors used the momentum from their screaming fans to roar out to a 101-95 advantage with 2:30 left. But Milwaukee put the lockdown bolt clamps on them for the next minute and a half, going on a 9-0 run to lead 104-101 with 54.8 seconds remaining. It was at that point that Golden State’s all-star caliber PG Baron Davis connected on a clutch three-pointer to tie that game at 104. Both teams fail to score on their next possessions, and then Jason Terry spited his poor shooting night and swished in a 12-footer with 29.3 seconds left and give his team a 106-104 lead. Davis tried to answer, but his shot was rejected by Gadzuric , who came down with the ball and was immediately mugged and clobbered. Despite a blind man's career free throw percentage , he hit both free throws, making it a 4-point lead and critically, a 2-possession game. Davis rained in another three pointer on the next play, but the Bucks inbounded it to Terry who played keep-away from the Warriors and ran out the clock to close out a wild victory.

GAME STATS

MILWAUKEE
Gadzuric: 4 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast, 1-4 FGs
Howard: 30 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast, 14-24 FGs
Mason: 10 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast, 4-15 FGs
Terry: 18 pts, 6 reb, 9 ast, 7-18 FGs
Udrih: 7 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 3-8 FGs
McDyess: 12 pts, 4 reb, 0 ast, 6-9 FGs
Hassell: 2 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, 1-1 FGs
Robinson: 12 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast, 4-9 FGs
Divac: 6 pts, 3 reb, 0 ast, 2-7 FGs
Langdon: 3 pts, 0 reb, 3 ast, 1-3 FGs
Bowen: 4 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 2-4 FGs
TOTALS: 45-102 FGs (44.1%), 13-15 FTs, 45 REB (14 OFF), 31 AST, 11 FL

GOLDEN STATE
Foster: 13 pts, 13 reb, 3 ast, 5-15 FGs
Murphy: 21 pts, 14 reb, 1 ast, 10-19 FGs
Smith: 6 pts, 5 reb, 0 ast, 3-6 FGs
Richardson: 25 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 10-24 FGs
Davis: 15 pts, 0 reb, 15 ast, 5-12 FGs
Diogu: 17 pts, 7 reb, 0 ast, 7-14 FGs
Jackson: 4 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast, 2-10 FGs
White: 2 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 1-3 FGs
Foyle: 2 pts, 5 reb, 0 ast, 1-1 FGs
Biedrins: 2 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 1-1 FGs
TOTALS: 45-105 FGs (42.5%), 12-16 FGs, 48 REB (17 OFF), 24 AST, 13 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
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Bucks 18 32 19 24 15---108
Warriors 28 26 15 24 14---107
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Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 5-14 (Robinson 2-3, Langdon 1-2, Terry 1-4, Udrih 1-5), Golden State 4-11 (Davis 3-4, Richardson 1-5, Murphy 0-1, Jackson 0-1). Turnovers: Milwaukee 15, Golden State 15. Steals: Milwaukee 10 (3 Tied With 2), Golden State 9 (Richardson 3). Blocks: Milwaukee 11 (Howard 5), Golden State 12 (Murphy 4).

Highlight of the Game
Dwight Howard is a man on a mission this year

BUCKS RECORD: 1-1

Yeah, that's the Bucks we all wanna see, congratulation with this win and good luck against the next team.

Keep it up Bullsfan. This is great.

robinson's 3 is back!!!!!!
cool win...a close one once again

dont worry i am kinda busy lately and a lot of things going thru my mind.....i somehow misplaced my 2005 live cd....so i cant play at the moment.....if ever i find it i will be back rolling my white men dynasty.......kepp up the good games.....

LOL at your practice venues

First I'll get you ready for the new season with the offseason activities around the league.

Retiring Players
Darrell Armstrong, Mark Bryant, Elden Campbell, Cedric Ceballos, Chris Childs (I had him on the Bucks last season), Antonio Davis, Dale Davis, Terry Davis, Greg Foster, Dean Garrett, Andrew Gaze, Horace Grant, Jim Jackson, Reggie Jordan, Toni Kukoc, George McCloud, Eric Murdock, Dikembe Mutombo, Charles Oakely, Sean Rooks, Felton Spencer, Chris Whitney, Kevin Willis (about time! )

lol...Andrew Gaze only just retired this season (hes been playing in Australia in the NBL)

Yeah, that's the Bucks we all wanna see, congratulation with this win and good luck against the next team.

Thanks JO.

Keep it up Bullsfan. This is great.

Thanks to you too, Sensation, glad you're enjoying it...

robinson's 3 is back!!!!!!
cool win...a close one once again

dont worry i am kinda busy lately and a lot of things going thru my mind.....i somehow misplaced my 2005 live cd....so i cant play at the moment.....if ever i find it i will be back rolling my white men dynasty.......kepp up the good games.....

LOL at your practice venues

Thanks COOLmac, and hang in there dude

lol...Andrew Gaze only just retired this season (hes been playing in Australia in the NBL)

I didn't know that...did he ever play in the NBA?


Game #3: Cleveland Cavaliers at Milwaukee Bucks

CLE 110, MIL 108
James, “Z” Overcome Bucks- Cavs’ 2 Monster Efforts Defeat Balanced Bucks’ Efforts


MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN- It is said that a one-man team cannot win in the NBA. Take the Chicago Bulls of the ‘90s: Michael Jordan didn’t make them winners until he learned to share the ball to make the Bulls a 5-man attack, and until Scottie Pippen developed into one of the greatest players in NBA history.
So can a two-man team win in the NBA? At least for one game, the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled it off last night in beating the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center. The amazing LeBron James and all-star center Zydrunas Ilgauskas combined to go 30-49 (61.2%!) from the field, score 65 points, and grab 21 rebounds in the game. “They did it all,” Bucks coach Terry Porter remarked. “We played a great game as a team tonight, but this the NBA. There are players who, on any given night, can explode and take over games by themselves. The Cavs had 2 of them clicking in the same game, so we just got overwhelmed.”
“Z,” as Ilgauskas is nicknamed, went to work right away. He dominated the first quarter, scoring 12 points on 6-8 shooting, and crashed the boards hard to the tune of 6 rebounds. His defender, Dan Gadzuric, might as well have sat down, because the 7’2” giant from Lithuania seemed like a man possessed. “He took it to me,” Gadzuric said.
The Bucks answered Ilgauskas’s challenge in the second quarter with their “big” weapon off the bench- 5-foot-9-inch rookie Nate Robinson. Robinson attacked the rim without fear, and ran off consecutive tomahawk jams, and then a minute afterwards threw down yet another slam dunk, using all of his incredible 42 inch vertical leap. The entire Bradley center was in a frenzy, and the Bucks bench was jumping out of their seats. In all, Robinson nailed all 4 of his field-goal attempts, dished out 2 assists, and also grabbed 2 rebounds in the quarter. The Bucks needed it all to lead by one point, 54-53, at halftime.
Ilgauskas had 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists at the half, but seeing that his team still trailed, LeBron James decided to take over. He did just that in the third quarter, hitting 7 of 10 shots, and scoring 16 points in the period. He showed off his vast repertoire of offensive abilities- scoring from virtually everywhere on the court. Bucks guard Jason Terry tried to keep up, hitting 5 of his 7 attempts, but Cleveland took at 2-point lead into the fourth quarter.
LeBron came up big once again in the fourth, scoring 10 points overall, and hitting a huge 3-pointer with 20 seconds left to tie the game at 108. The Bucks came back and tried to feed the ball into Dwight Howard, but it was stolen by Drew Gooden. Jeff McInnis was then fouled, hit both free throws, and when the Bucks’ Trajan Langdon missed a three at the buzzer, the Cavs had pulled out a tough win, 110-108.

GAME NOTES
Six players scored in double figures for the Bucks, paced by Howard’s 21 points. Starting point guard Beno Udrih also had his best performance of the young season, scoring 8 points on better than 50% shooting (4-7) and distributing 13 assists.

The Cavs’ starting point guard Jeff McInnis had a good game, but only at first glance. His 17 points and 11 assists were overshadowed by an awful turnover total of 9.

GAME STATS

MILWAUKEE
Gadzuric: 4 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 2-4 FGs
Howard: 21 pts, 14 reb, 3 ast, 10-23 FGs
Mason: 11 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast, 4-9 FGs
Terry: 16 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast, 7-14 FGs
Udrih: 8 pts, 0 reb, 13 ast, 4-7 FGs
McDyess: 11 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 5-8 FGs
Hassell: 4 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 2-6 FGs
Robinson: 14 pts, 2 reb, 6 ast, 5-7 FGs
Divac: 10 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 4-5 FGs
Langdon: 7 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 3-6 FGs
Bowen: 2 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 1-2 FGs
TOTALS: 45-102 FGs (44.1%), 13-15 FTs, 45 REB (14 OFF), 31 AST, 11 FL

CLEVELAND
Ilgauskas: 29 pts, 12 reb, 5 ast, 14-21 FGs
Gooden: 6 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast, 2-7 FGs
James: 36 pts, 9 reb, 1 ast, 16-28 FGs
Newble: 15 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 7-17 FGs
McInnis: 17 pts, 4 reb, 11 ast, 6-14 FGs
Welsch: 0 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 0-2 FGs
Varejao: 2 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 1-3 FGs
Traylor: 0 pts, 3 reb, 0 ast, 0-2 FGs
Harris: 5 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 2-7 FGs
Snow: 0 pts, 0 reb, 5 ast, 0-0 FGs
TOTALS: 45-105 FGs (42.9%), 12-16 FTs, 48 REB (17 OFF), 24 AST, 13 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
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Cavaliers 27 26 29 28---110
Bucks 25 29 26 28---108
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Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 3-10 (Terry 2-5, Langdon 1-3, Bowen 0-1, Udrih 0-1), Cleveland 6-13 (James 3-6, McInnis 3-6, Harris 0-1). Turnovers: Milwaukee 14, Cleveland 12. Steals: Milwaukee 9 (Udrih 3), Cleveland 9 (Gooden 3, James 3). Blocks: Milwaukee 5 (Howard 3), Cleveland 8 (Gooden 4).

PLAYS OF THE GAME
LeBron sinks a smooth fadeaway J

Nate Robinson with the BIG finish


BUCKS RECORD: 1-2

Game 4: Milwaukee Bucks (1-2) at Indiana Pacers (1-3)

MIL 109, IND 106 (O.T.)
Bucks Find A Way To Win- Struggling in the 4th, They Manage to Pull It Out in OT


INDIANAPOLIS, IN- The Milwaukee Bucks took on a very good Indiana Pacers team last night on the road at Conseco Fieldhouse, and it took a full four quarters and an overtime of solid execution to get a victory.
Indiana’s core of Jermaine O’Neal, Ron Artest, and Stephen Jackson all played great against the Bucks. O’Neal did all of the dirty work down low, scoring 14 points on 7-12 shooting, grabbing 10 boards, blocking 5 shots, recording 3 steals, and holding Bucks PF Dwight Howard to a season-low 13 points. Howard had 9 rebounds in the first quarter, but from then-on O’Neal made a concentrated effort to keep him off the glass, and it worked- Howard didn’t get a single rebound in the second half or overtime.
On the wings, Artest and Jackson constantly ran off screens to get a free, then were delivered a bullet-pass from PG Derek Fisher that they converted into a score. Fisher, acquired last season from the Golden State Warriors for Jeff Foster, racked up 17 assists in the game, primarily off of plays like this.
The Bucks answered this Pacers’ attack with a play Terry Porter described as, “Get it to Desmond Mason and unless you’re screening his man, get out of the way!” Mason ran up 33 points on the Pacers, despite being guarded by arguably the best perimeter defender in the league in Artest. Time after time, Mason used his ferocious quickness and power to blow by Artest and if he wasn’t clobbered in the lane, he threw down a sick dunk in someone’s face. Mason had a windmill jam, a facial on Artest, and multiple other resounding slam dunks that had even the Pacers’ fans buzzing. The times when Mason was caught and fouled, he got to the free throw line, and those times were often. Mason attempted 14 free throw attempts, more than the entire Pacers team, and swished in 13 of them.
Jason Terry also was a major factor for Milwaukee, hitting 4 threes in the game and filling up the box score with 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.
The game came down to the wire in the fourth quarter, and it was tied at 91 with about 1 minute left. Nate Robinson rose to the occasion for the Bucks and nailed a three to put them up 94-91. Stephen Jackson responded on the next play, grabbing and offensive rebound over Jason Terry and then flipping in a short shot that was good. But Robinson came right back, sprinting down the court and threaded the needle on a fastball of a pass from the three point line to an open Dan Gadzuric down low, who dunked it home.
But Jackson was not going to let the game get away from his Pacers. He went down on the next play, and with the shot clock running low, buried a three pointer from the far corner that tied the game at 96-96. There were now 27.3 seconds left. The Bucks called timeout, then put he ball in the hands of Robinson. Nate ran down the clock, then out of a double team found Jason Terry WIDE open in the corner for a three with 4 seconds left…MISS! The Pacers rebounded, called timeout, and set up a play to try and steal the game. They inbounded it to Jamaal Tinsley, who broke free and got off a runner from the free throw line over Dwight Howard, but it missed its mark. The game was going into overtime.
The Bucks won the tip to start the O.T., and got off three shots on their first possession thanks to 2 critical offensive rebounds by Gadzuric. The third shot found its mark: a Jason Terry three pointer from the corner. The Pacers came back and went to Ron Artest, but he was rejected by Gadzuric! “Gadzuric was everywhere in overtime,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “I don’t know where he found that kind of energy.”
The inspired Bucks hit 5-of-7 shots in the O.T., and it was good enough to pull out a tough victory at Indiana.

GAME NOTES
Coach Carlisle of the Pacers was very upset after the game over the disparity of free throw attempts between the two teams. While the Bucks had 31 free throw attempts in the game, Indiana shot just 8. “In the kind of physical game that this was, a game that was played over four quarters AND an overtime, to get only 8 foul attempts is ludicrous,” he said. The NBA will surely review his comments to assess a possible fine.

GAME STATS
Gadzuric: 6 pts, 12 reb, 1 ast, 3-4 FGs
Howard: 13 pts, 11 reb, 2 ast, 5-11 FGs
Mason: 33 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 10-22 FGs, 13-14 FTs
Terry: 27 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast, 9-20 FGs
Udrih: 0 pts, 0 reb, 6 ast, 0-8 FGs
McDyess: 5 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 2-3 FGs
Hassell: 4 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 2-6 FGs
Robinson: 16 pts, 1 reb, 5 ast, 6-10 FGs
Divac: 2 pts, 7 reb, 0 ast, 1-4 FGs
Langdon: 3 pts, 0 reb, 3 ast, 1-5 FGs
TOTALS: 39-93 FGs (41.9%), 25-31 FTs, 43 REB (16 OFF), 25 AST, 9 FL

INDIANA
Pollard: 9 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast, 4-9 FGs
O'Neal: 14 pts, 10 reb, 4 ast, 7-12 FGs
Artest: 23 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 10-26 FGs
Jackson: 31 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast, 14-18 FGs
Fisher: 15 pts, 1 reb, 17 ast, 6-12 FGs
Tinsley: 0 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 0-4 FGs
Croshere: 2 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast, 1-3 FGs
Thomas: 4 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 2-3 FGs
F. Jones: 2 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1-4 FGs
Harrison: 6 pts, 5 reb, 0 ast, 3-5 FGs
TOTALS: 48-96 FGs (50%), 5-8 FTs, 46 REB (14 OFF), 32 AST, 22 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bucks 22 30 23 21 13---109
Pacers 23 25 20 28 10---106
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 6-21 (Terry 4-8, Langdon 1-4, Robinson 1-5, Udrih 0-4), Indiana 5-10 (Jackson 2-3, Fisher 2-3, Artest 1-3, F. Jones 0-1). Turnovers: Milwaukee 13, Indiana 15. Steals: Milwaukee 12 (4 Players With 2 Steals), Indiana 10 (O’Neal 3). Blocks: Milwaukee 9 (Gadzuric 4), Indiana 10 (O’Neal 5).

Highlight of the Game
Desmond Mason throws it down


BUCKS RECORD: 2-2

good 2-2 now....one question thouh bullsfan.why is it that your graphics aint the highest resolution available? is you PC not capable of the high resolution?.full background etc.

My computer isn't that fast- it's about 700 megahertz. My game plays a lot slower when I have the benches & crowd & all the lighting on full, so I prefer to play with all these on lower detail settings.

Sorry haven't been around much to support you because i was having problems with my internet but i just fixed it...anyway you have a nice start and you haven't had any blow outs yet......your doing well compared to your first season...good luck next game

Good win against Indy. Mason Dunk Keep it rolling.

Thanks everyone- you guys have good dynasties too

Game 5: Boston Celtics (1-0) @ Milwaukee Bucks (2-2)

MIL 106, BOS 90
Recipe For Success- Bucks’ Lineup Change Sparks Blowout Victory over Celtics


MILWAUKEE, WI- Just hours before last night’s game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics tipped off, Bucks coach Terry Porter decided to start backup PG and rookie Nate Robinson in place of the struggling Beno Udrih. Udrih, acquired from the San Antonio Spurs in the offseason for Maurice Williams, had been shooting 27% so far this season, and 9% from 3-point range. Since only baseball players can get away with those kind of success percentages, Porter hoped that coming off the pine would spark Udrih, and if not, at least he figured that the starting lineup’s play would be boosted by Robinson’s energy and enthusiasm.
Little did Porter know that both would come true versus Boston. Robinson played well with a starting lineup that scored 63 points, and Udrih broke out of his slump with a second quarter to remember. Beno scored 19 points on 6-for-7 shooting, and made four threes out of four attempts. On one play, he hit a three pointer, then stole the ball, ran down, spun off his man, pump-faked to send his defender flying through the air, then launched another three that swished through the net. “He was due,” Porter said. “Beno’s a good shooter, and it was unexplainable to us why he was shooting so poorly so far this season. I figured he’s break out of his slump pretty soon, and I believe moving to the bench helped him out.”
The Bucks had multiple players clicking against the Celtics, who relied heavily upon the scoring of Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce. The duo did combine to score 52 points and grab 16 boards, but received little help from their teammates. It showed in the third period, when Milwaukee pulled out to a 20-point lead shortly after storming out on an 11-2 run after halftime. Pierce and Walker were held to a combined 5-13 shooting in the quarter, while Milwaukee scored 31 points, hit 4 threes, and shot almost 55%.
Milwaukee only gave up 4 of those 20 points by the end of the game. They played great containment defense on a possessed Pierce, who hit 3 threes, and Walker, who made 5 of his 10 shot attempts. Multiple defenders were sent at them to ensure neither was able to take over the game single-handedly. This was yet another excellent coaching strategy for coach Porter and his staff, who reaped the benefits in the form of a season-high 16 point victory.

GAME NOTES
The Bucks shot 9-for-13 (69.2%) on their three-point attempts , and Udrih (4-for-4) and Jason Terry (3-for-3) did not miss…Just as with the Pacers in the previous game, the Celtics were upset about receiving only 6 free throw attempts over the course of the game. The Bucks shot 21…Dwight Howard scored 11 points in the first quarter, and 11 in the third, but only 2 points combined in the second and fourth quarters.

GAME STATS

MILWAUKEE
Gadzuric: 6 pts, 6 rebs, 5 ast, 3-7 FGs
Howard: 24 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 9-17 FGs
Mason: 10 pts, 7 reb, 0 ast, 3-7 FGs
Terry: 20 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 8-12 FGS
Robinson: 3 pts, 0 reb, 6 ast, 1-4 FGs
McDyess: 9 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 4-8 FGs
Hassell: 2 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 0-4 FGs
Udrih: 19 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast, 6-9 FGs
Divac: 2 pts, 3 reb, 0 ast, 1-4 FGs
Langdon: 6 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 2-4 FGs
Bowen: 5 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 2-8 FGs
TOTALS: 39-84 FGs (46.4%), 19-21 FTs, 39 REB (7 OFF), 25 AST, 9 FL

BOSTON
Blount: 10 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast, 5-5 FGs
Walker: 25 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast, 12-29 FGs
Pierce: 27 pts, 8 reb, 1 ast, 11-22 FGs
Davis: 4 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 2-9 FGs
Banks: 2 pts, 2 reb, 10 ast, 1-6 FGs
Allen: 8 pts, 5 reb, 0 ast, 3-5 FGs
LaFrentz: 4 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 2-6 FGs
Jefferson: 4 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 2-2 FGs
Green: 4 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 2-3 FGs
Perkins: 0 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 0-0 FGs
West: 2 pts, 0 reb, 3 ast, 1-5 FGs
TOTALS: 41-92 FGs (44.6%), 3-6 FTs, 40 REB (12 OFF), 22 AST, 18 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Celtics 19 24 17 30---90
Bucks 20 29 31 26---106
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 9-13 (Udrih 4-4, Terry 3-3, Robinson 1-2, Bowen 1-3, Langdon 0-1), Boston 5-19 (Pierce 4-8, Walker 1-6, Banks 0-1, Davis 0-2, West 0-2). Turnovers: Milwaukee 13, Boston 18. Steals: Milwaukee 14 (Mason 3), Boston 9 (Walker 2, Pierce 2). Blocks: Milwaukee 6 (Howard 5), Boston 12 (Blount 5).

Highlight of the Day
Beno Udrih was in a groove in the second quarter

BUCKS RECORD: 3-2

Last edited by bullsfan009 on Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Nice win...the first blowout of the second season......good luck next game

wow i told you robinson is great. i have this rookie a while back when i was doing 2000. he won the mvp at 2009 at my dynasty.moving terry to 2 guard aint that bad either!
cool win...

EDIT: i havent found my 2005 cd's yet...i was htinkin that some of my office mates here has em but they just keep quiet

i havent found my 2005 cd's yet...i was htinkin that some of my office mates here has em but they just keep quiet

check their computers! or offer donuts to the one who finds it!

- I really like Robinson, too. He's going to be a lot of fun to watch on the Knicks this year in the real NBA

Nice win...the first blowout of the second season......good luck next game

thanks, I think my Bucks are starting to come together


Game 6: Milwaukee Bucks (3-2) at Toronto Raptors (1-4)

MIL 106, TOR 91
Back-To-Back Big Wins- Bucks Dominate 2nd Half To Win By 15 At Toronto


TORONTO- The Milwaukee Bucks won their third consecutive game last night versus the Toronto Raptors, improving their record to 4-2. They overcame first-half foul trouble to put together a second half in which they outscored the Raptors by 15 points, 55-to-40. Because the game was tied at 51 at halftime, it was a convincing 15-point margin of victory for Milwaukee.
Jason Terry started off hot for the Bucks, scoring 12 first-quarter points on mostly aggressive drives to the basket. The Bucks got off to a quick start before the referee’s whistle started blowing all over the place. Any action deemed even close to a foul was called one, and the Bucks were whistled for 9 of them in the quarter. Dwight Howard, Antonio McDyess, and Vlade Divac all picked up 2 fouls in the 1st period, and all had to sit on the bench earlier than they expected. Toronto benefited by shooting 15 free throw attempts, and hit 10 of them. They led 28-22 after 1 quarter of play.
When Howard and McDyess re-entered the game in the second quarter, they played inspired basketball. Howard shot 3-for-5 from the field, and McDyess hit 4 of his 6 attempts. The duo carried the Bucks to tie up the game at 51-51 by halftime.
Both teams shot about the same field goal percentages in the second half as in the first; the difference and reason Milwaukee outscored Toronto by 15 in it was the sudden lack of foul calling. The Raptors didn’t get even 1 free throw attempt in the second half, after 20 in the first half, not even 1! The Bucks made a concerted effort not to foul, but still, it seemed that the referee forgot how to use his whistle when the Raptors were on offense.
To credit the Bucks, they did play superb defense and efficient offense in the third and fourth quarters, extending their lead despite Toronto’s fans urging on their home team to make a comeback. Milwaukee dominated the third quarter rebounds by grabbing 15 to the Raptors’ 7, and eventually built up an 83-74 lead with 8:55 left in the ballgame. By the 5:00 mark, that lead had bloomed to 94-81, and the game concluded at the score of Milwaukee 106, Toronto 91.

GAME NOTES
The Buck’s starting center and power forward, Gadzuric & Howard, respectively, grabbed a combined 27 rebounds.
In the Bucks’ first three games, Jason Terry shot 44.7% and averaged 15.0 ppg. The Bucks went 1-2 in that stretch. In his last 3 games, Terry has stepped up his play significantly, averaging 23.3 ppg on 52.9% shooting. The Bucks are 3-0 in those games.

GAME STATS

MILWAUKEE
Gadzuric: 4 pts, 14 reb, 1 ast, 2-6 FGs
Howard: 15 pts, 13 reb, 4 ast, 7-12 FGs
Mason: 20 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast, 8-19 FGs
Terry: 23 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, 10-19 FGs
Robinson: 10 pts, 2 reb, 6 ast, 3-8 FGs
McDyess: 16 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast, 7-12 FGs
Hassell: 3 pts, 0 reb, 1 ast, 1-1 FGs
Udrih: 4 pts, 1 reb, 3 ast, 1-1 FGs
Divac: 6 pts, 4 reb, 0 ast, 2-4 FGs
Bowen: 5 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2-4 FGs
TOTALS: 43-86 FGs (50%), 19-22 FTs, 50 REB (10 OFF), 26 AST, 14 FL

TORONTO
Swift: 14 pts, 9 reb, 0 ast, 6-9 FGs
Bosh: 13 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast, 4-13 FGs
Rose: 16 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast, 6-13 FGs
Peterson: 10 pts, 1 reb, 3 ast, 5-18 FGs
Alston: 5 pts, 0 reb, 6 ast, 2-7 FGs
Graham: 2 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 1-7 FGs
Villanueva: 8 pts, 7 reb, 0 ast, 4-9 FGs
Al. Williams: 14 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 5-21 FGs
Araujo: 9 pts, 5 reb, 0 ast, 3-4 FGs
TOTALS: 36-101 FGs (35.6%), 15-20 FTs, 46 REB (20 OFF), 15 AST, 18 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bucks 22 29 28 27---106
Raptors 28 23 19 21---91
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 1-8 (Mason 1-3, Bowen 0-1, Terry 0-2, Robinson 0-2), Toronto 4-14 (Rose 3-4, Alston 1-5, Peterson 0-5). Turnovers: Milwaukee 13, Toronto 11. Steals: Milwaukee 9 (Hassell 2), Toronto 10 (Al. Williams 3). Blocks: Milwaukee 7 (Howard 2, Bowen 2), Toronto 7 (Araujo 2).

Highlight of the Day
Desmond Mason makes a nice pass underneath to Gadzuric for the slam

BUCKS RECORD: 4-2

Game 7: New Orleans Hornets (1-1) at Milwaukee Bucks (4-2)

MIL 113, NO 105
Just Enough of a Cushion- Bucks Give Up Most of 20+ Point Lead But Hold on To Win


MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN- The Milwaukee Bucks had their best offensive performance of the year last night against the New Orleans Hornets, but their 113 points almost wasn’t enough to win.
Milwaukee led by 22 points after the third quarter (92-70), thanks largely to a breakout performance from Trajan Langdon. Langdon, signed as a free agent in the offseason, has the reputation of being a shooter but had struggled with his shot so far this season. Something clicked against the Hornets, however, when Langdon came out in the second quarter firing away from everywhere, and hitting virtually everything. He scored 17 points on 7-11 shooting (3-5 on threes) in the period, including one three pointer that was at least 3 feet behind the three point line. “I was in a groove, man,” Langdon said after the game with a grin on his face.
The Bucks’ 11 point halftime lead doubled by the end of the third quarter. Nate Robinson went 4-4, including 2 three pointers and a fast break double-pump jam that had the Bradley Center rocking. Hornets rookie Chris Paul was 0-8 in the quarter, but was saved by his second-year teammate J.R. Smith’s hot shooting. Smith scored 8 of his game-high 32 points in the third, giving New Orleans a sliver of hope in the game.
That sliver became a tree trunk as the fourth quarter progressed. The Bucks struggled to score, and Smith continued to knock down shots all over the place. With 1:30 left, the Hornets were within 7 points (the score was 105-98), and with about 50 seconds remaining they were within 6, at the score of 109-103.
But that was as close as the Hornets would come in the game. The Bucks got a few stops, and took advantage of a gambling New Orleans defense to get some easy baskets and seal the game. The win was the Bucks’ 4th straight, and improved their record to 5-2. The Hornets fell to 1-2.

GAME NOTES
Vlade Divac had a nice game off the bench for Milwaukee. He scored 6 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 2 assists, and blocked 3 shots in the game.

Hornets big man David West shot a superb 8-12 from the field. He scored 16 points in the game.

GAME STATS

MILWAUKEE
Gadzuric: 2 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 0-3 FGs
Howard: 20 pts, 8 reb, 3 ast, 8-9 FGs
Mason: 8 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 4-12 FGs
Terry: 13 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast, 6-12 FGs
Robinson: 19 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast, 7-10 FGs
McDyess: 7 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 2-8 FGs
Hassell: 2 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1-2 FGs
Udrih: 2 pts, 0 reb, 7 ast, 1-4 FGs
Divac: 6 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast, 3-7 FGs
Langdon: 27 pts, 2 reb, 3 ast, 11-18 FGs
Bowen: 4 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 2-2 FGs
Gaines: 3 pts, 0 reb, 2 ast, 1-2 FGs
TOTALS: 46-89 FGs (51.7%), 12-15 FTs, 37 REB (11 OFF), 33 AST, 8 FL

NEW ORLEANS
Magloire: 8 pts, 9 reb, 1 ast, 3-8 FGs
West: 16 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast, 8-12 FGs
Najera: 12 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 6-9 FGs
Smith: 32 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast, 14-26 FGs
Paul: 12 pts, 0 reb, 12 ast, 5-20 FGs
Dickau: 3 pts, 0 reb, 3 ast, 1-1 FGs
Lampe: 10 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 5-7 FGs
Nailon: 6 pts, 5 reb, 0 ast, 3-6 FGs
Jacobson: 4 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 2-5 FGs
Brown: 2 pts, 0 reb, 0 ast, 1-4 FGs
TOTALS: 48-98 FGs (49%), 2-3 FTs , 37 REB (14 OFF), 22 AST, 14 FL

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hornets 24 26 20 35---105
Bucks 29 32 31 21---113
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 9-17 (Langdon 5-8, Robinson 3-4, Terry 1-3, Mason 0-1, Udrih 0-1), New Orleans 7-22 (Smith 4-9, Paul 2-10, Dickau 1-1, Jacobson 0-2). Turnovers: Milwaukee 19, New Orleans 17. Steals: Milwaukee 14 (Udrih 3), New Orleans 13 (Paul 4, Smith 4). Blocks: Milwaukee 8 (Divac 3), New Orleans 11 (Najera 3).

Highlight of the Day
Chris Paul finds J.R. Smith for the turnaround J

BUCKS RECORD: 5-2