The Bucks fought valiantly and got a little better each quarter, but fell 108-101 in Orlando. Milwaukee stayed within striking distance most of the game and then struck in the fourth quarter, but the Magic ultimately iced the game at a fitting place: the free throw line.

Three Bucks

• Richard Jefferson. He didn't exactly outplay Hedo Turkoglu, and didn't add a ton in addition to scoring, but RJ had his jumper working tonight and delivered an efficient offensive performance with 25 points on 11-16 from the field.
  
• Andrew Bogut. Bogut swished a pair of righty hooks against the league's top shot-blocker to lead off the game en route to making his first six shots from the field. He thoroughly outplayed Dwight Howard, who was limited to 11 minutes due to foul trouble, in the first half. Bogut scored all 16 points before the break. Unfortunately, the Aussie's night finished unceremoniously. He picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter and then departed to the locker room with a left knee contusion.
• Charlie Villanueva. On consecutive plays in the first quarter, Villanueva scored an and-one on Dwight Howard and then drew an offensive foul on the opposing center. Helping get Howard into early foul trouble made CV an unsung hero early on. His offense arrived later; he finished with 17/9 along with 5-5 from the line off the bench.
  

Three Numbers

• 65. Milwaukee attempted 87 field goals (making 40) compared to just 65 (making 31) for the Magic, in large part because...
• 54. The Magic made 37-54 free throws, a truly stunning number of attempts, aside from the fact the extreme fouling is getting typical.
  
• 1. Dwight Howard swatted six shots alone and the Bucks only had one block, via Luc Mbah a Moute in the fourth quarter.
  

Three Good

• No cigar, but close. The Bucks have marched into plenty of difficult environments already this season, but refuse to lay down and lose. Michael Redd and Ridnour were out, and Bogut only played 22 minutes before heading to the locker room. The Bucks were losing virtually the entire game, and the result never appeared in doubt. And yet the Bucks trailed by three with less than half a minute. The Bucks lost the first quarter by ten points, lost the second quarter by one, tied the third quarter, and won the final period by four. This team is simply more likable in losses than last year's bunch.
• Second round, not second rate. Elaborating on the above point, even in off-games, guys like Ramon Sessions and Mbah a Moute continue to find ways to contribute, which is a big reason why games like this end up closer than it seems they should. Sessions suffered a bad shooting night but finished with 7/6/8 and Mbah a Moute's and-one dunk late in the fourth was huge. They both added a couple steals and always fit in well within the team concept.
  
• Lue's dues. There is an unwritten rule that players who airball layups don't make Three Bucks, thus Tyronn Lue's omission. But the backup point guard did well to add 14 points and 5 dimes on 5-10 shooting without a turnover. In fact, Tyronn Lue (+2) and Malik Allen (+4) were the only Bucks to post positive differentials, which is pretty hard to believe.

Three Bad

• Time at the line. The Magic lived at the free throw line, with Milwaukee giving them a helping shove in getting there. In the span of less than four minutes in the second quarter, the Bucks even managed to foul Orlando twice on three-pointers. Charlie Bell clobbered J.J. Redick behind the arc, not a brilliant idea since Redick can: a) shoot threes b) shoot free throws, and c) not do much else. As such, Redick converted the four-point play. A few minutes later Joe Alexander ran over Rashard Lewis on a three. It beats passivity, but the bad fouling also helped beat the Bucks, especially disconcerting since it was a close game at the end. There was a lot of rightful intentional fouling against Howard, but nearing 40 fouls is under no circumstance justifiable. The Bucks' bench had more fouls (22-20) than the entire Magic team.
  
• Backing up. The Bucks' injury issues continue to mount, and it's forcing major depth chart modification. Malik Allen and Dan Gadzuric combined for 10 fouls and 3 points in 21 minutes, which is apparently possible. Allen's offensive foul with the Bucks down 95-90 really hurt, too. Meanwhile, Sessions combined with Charlie Bell to form a rather clanky backup-starting-backcourt. And the burlier Jameer Nelson bullied Sessions bit, driving into the lane at will multiple times prior to straining his groin.
  
• Winter WondOrlando. Milwaukeeans woke up to snow-covered ground this morning, a sight which should become all too familiar for the next three and half months. The Magic stormed to an early lead, hit an avalanche of free throws, and 3/5 of Milwaukee's starters went cold. Add that up, and the Bucks had almost snow chance, even in the Sunshine State.
  

Let's keep the Magic tricks to a minimum, Jameer. (via rotorob)

Bucks (7-8 4-5 road) @ Magic (9-4, 5-3 home)

Gametime: 6:00 p.m. central time (FSN-W)

Injuries:

Bucks: Michael Redd (sprained ankle) has missed eleven straight games. Luke Ridnour (knee) is out.

Magic: Hedo Turkoglu (flu) did not play yesterday but is expected back tonight.  Keith Bogans is out with a fractured thumb.

07/08 Series:

Oct. 31: @Magic 102 Bucks 83

Dec. 12: @Bucks 100 Magic 87

March 28: Magic 103 @Bucks 86

08/09 Advanced Stats:

Bucks: Offense: 26th (102.2 points/100 possessions) Defense: 9th (102.9) Pace: 17th (91.1)

Magic: Offense: 16th (105.0 points/100 possessions) Defense: 3rd (99.5)  Pace: 8th (93.6)

Three points:

• Double digits. Including Michael Redd, six Bucks are averaging at least 10.0 points per game this season: Redd (21.3), Richard Jefferson (17.9), Ramon Sessions (15.5), Charlie Villanueva (11.6), Andrew Bogut, (11.1) and Luke Ridnour (10.0). And a seventh, Luke Mbah a Moute (9.7) is very close. No team in the NBA has seven players averaging double figures (the Knicks had seven prior to the trades). The Bucks have offensive problems, but balance doesn't appear to be one of them anymore. Granted, the injuries to Redd and Villanueva play a sizable role in the increased scoring for others, but it's still pretty amazing that a team 23rd in points per game is quite close to being the only team in the league with seven 10.0+ point scorers.

• This is Dwight's block. The Magic are first in the NBA in blocks, averaging 7.5 per game. Dwight Howard is far and away the top shot-blocker in the league, averaging 3.92. If he keeps that pace up, it will the best shot-blocking season since Dikembe Mutomobo swatted 4.49 per game in 1995-96. Meanwhile, Charlie Villanueva, of all people, did his best Howard impersonation with four blocks against the Bobcats on Saturday. No other Buck blocked a shot.
  
• Record repeat. For all the changes, the Bucks stand at 7-8 for the second year in a row. Last year's route was far more bizarre, with a five-game winning streak over the likes of Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Dallas which preceded a four-game losing streak including a disastrous loss in New York. Another important difference is that last season the Bucks were 7-8 on Dec. 1, and this year they were 7-8 on Nov. 22. That shows how very full this year's early schedule is in comparison. Also, I don't foresee this year's club closing 19-48.
  

Coverage:

Bucks.com / Third Quarter Collapse

As linked to in Wednesday's Notes, Henry Abbott wrote a terrific piece about the future of Team USA. If you think it's too early to consider such things, well, it's quite simply not. The 2010 World Championships are just around the corner, and building a team, as we've learned, takes time.

The thought, competition, and scrutiny that goes into creating national soccer teams is incredible. Basketball is following that path.

There are plentiful questions, like whether the LeBron/Kobe/Wade troika will sign on again. James already said he'll only play if Kidd does, and Kidd should not and will not. Kobe, while not old, might want to save energy to win the NBA title without Shaq he wants so badly. Wade's all-out style also might not agree with four more years of intense summer ball.

Plus, they already accomplished the mission of restoring order in the basketball world with the gold in Beijing. There is a lot to lose in the next two tournaments, and only a little to gain.

That said, here are my roster thoughts going forward.

Return, pretty please

LeBron James: Some are holding off on anointing him the greatest player in the world. Not I. In 2010 and 2012, he'll absolutely be the most dominant basketball force, and the most important player to Team USA success.

Kobe Bryant: Recruited to save USA Basketball, and did just that against Spain in the fourth quarter of the gold medal match.

Chris Paul: Best point guard on the planet will be 25 and 27 years old in the next two major competitions.

Dwyane Wade: Leaped back into the forefront of stardom. Wade played pressure defense and ignited transition offense, the places where Team USA differentiated itself in Biejing.

Deron Williams: Formed a dynamite two-headed point guard attack off the bench with Paul, and showed nice chemistry on the court with CP3 as well. Only will improve in next four years.

Chris Bosh: A relative unknown among superstars, Bosh established himself as the team's best post player on both ends of the court in Beijing. His 77.4 % field goal percentage was absurd, but his 86.2 % free-throw percentage was perhaps even more comforting.

Dwight Howard: Mobility makes him a nice fit on team that plays at breakneck speed. Strength separates him from competition.

Continue reading this post »

Five observations after Team USA's positively easy, 92-69 (recap/quotes) thumping of Greece:

• Team USA won each quarter against the Greeks. That might not seem like a huge deal, but it's indicative of frighteningly consistent play and a truly thorough win over a strong opponent. And accomplishing the feet is unusual. It marked one of just five games out of 18 in the Olympics so far that a team has won each quarter. The others? Germany over Angola 95-66. USA over China 101-70. Australia over Iran 106-68. Argentina over Croatia 77-53. Angola or Iran can suffer such a fate, sure, but it's just not something that happens to elite teams like Greece. For more perspective, consider that the Bucks outscored its opponent in all four quarters once in 82 games last season.
• Dwyane Wade is both a sixth man and the best player in the tournament thus far, though I won't bother arguing with someone who picks LeBron James, and Chris Bosh has been nothing short of brilliant. The Marquette product is leading the world averaging 18.3 points, and he's doing it efficiently, as his scalding-hot 76 % field goal percentage attests to. He burned Greece's vaunted defense for 17 points and five assists in just 20 minutes. Unreal per-minute production to be sure. And guess what? His defensive performance may have been even better. He finished the game with six steals, two more than the entire Greece team had. Next time someone talks about Americans not being able to defend, well... It's not that one Team USA guy off the bench is better at defense than the best defensive national team all put together, but yeah. Might want to hush that talk for a bit. And when I say a bit, I mean until further notice.
  
• So, is there anything wrong with this team after such a swanky performance? Yes. The team's starting point guard not only hasn't scored (or attempted a shot for that matter), but has more turnovers (5) and fouls (5) than assists (4). Fortunately, Chris Paul and Deron Williams are equally adept and are both getting almost twice as many minutes as Kidd. The more unforeseen problem is free-throw shooting. Team USA rank 11th out of 12 teams at 64.4 % at the line. Remember Wade's silly field goal percentage? Well, it's better than his 66.7 % mark from the stripe. That type of strange split is supposed to be reserved for guys like Shaq, not someone who won a Finals MVP at the free throw line (he made 58-71 in the Heat's four wins). James is an even more egregious culprit so far, converting on only 4-10. They are better shooters typically, so the numbers will improve. And more good news is Team USA ranks second in free throws attempted, even if it doesn't seem like they are getting to the line a ton. Thus, free throw shooting isn't a big worry, though I sure hope not to see Dwight Howard in at the end of a close game with the way Chris Bosh is playing, and can shoot from the line.
• Speaking of a hypothetical (because that's all we have right now) close game late in the fourth quarter, will Michael Redd be on the floor, as many assumed before tournament began? Despite ranking 10th in minutes played with just 33, his four three-pointers are the most on Team USA. But his role has been sharply reduced since last summer's FIBA Americas tournament, when he was fourth on Team USA in scoring with 14.4 points.
• The Redd question is even more salient because similar to the free throw issues, Team USA has shot a woeful 29.2 % from beyond the arc, good enough only for last. This is particularly baffling not only because of the short line and collection of excellent shooters, but because of the team's hot outside shooting in the FIBA's a year ago, when Team USA hit 47.0 %. For that reason, I'm not really buying that Kobe and company are having problems adjusting to the short line. The teams are far better defensively at the Olympics than the FIBA's, so that certainly plays a part in the decline, but mostly, it's an aberration based on a small sample size. As such, the numbers are only going to go up, just like with the free throw shooting. That's good news for Team USA and bad news for the rest of the world.

Americas champs defeat European champs in China.

• Team USA downed defending Euro champs Russia 89-68 (recap / photos) early Sunday morning. Facing its toughest pre-Olympic opponent yet, Team USA won comfortably but not quite as thoroughly as in previous games. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 19 and Michael Redd added six points on 2-3 from outside in just 11 minutes. LeBron James delivered his least superhuman effort, with more turnovers (4) than assists (2) and fouling out (remember, it only takes five) in 24 minutes. Up next for Team USA is Australia, airing live on ESPN2 at 7:00 a.m. central time on Tuesday.
• Draft Express ranks the Olympic basketball field 1-12. Team USA stands on top, but is not without its imperfections.

  Potential weaknesses might arise because of the lack of size this team possesses, with Dwight Howard as the sole true center presence in the middle. Defensive rebounding might eventually become an issue, especially with so many guys giving up the defensive glass to run the break. Besides, gifted low-post teams could potentially cause some damage near the basket, which should be addressed with defensive team activity. Although this team seems more committed on the defensive end, we’re yet to check the quality of their defensive rotations and defensive transitions on the big stage.

• Upside and Motor provides a well-done Team USA Blogger Roundtable with familiar names like Henry Abbott, Matt Moore, and Ryan McNeil adding their thoughts.

• Charles Gardner confirms reports that Andrew Bogut sat out most of the second half of Australia's narrow loss to Argentina on Saturday.

• The Bob Boozer Jinx speculates about Bogut's chances of playing against teammate Redd and Team USA, and talks Olympics.

• ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan theorizes about Jason Kidd's second-half benching against Russia, believing the starting point guard's lack of minutes is worth reading into. Chris Paul and Deron Williams are superior players by virtually every measure. It hardly should be surprising that Coach K is picking up on this, though it sort of is. BrewHoopsters were ahead of the game on this one. A couple months before these games started we ran a poll asking who should be cut from the team among Kidd, Paul, Williams, and Billups. The answer was to keep the kids, and cut Kidd.

• Dime, meanwhile, isn't reading much into Kidd's benching, and previews Team USA versus Australia.

• Chad Ford at ESPN.com rates the Bucks among free agent winners. So, we're 1-0?

Even Mike Redd was getting into the dunkathon (and didn't hurt himself).

• Mike Redd helped Team USA throttle Lithuania yesterday 120-84 (recap / photos). Redd scored 16 points (6/10 fg, 4/8 3fg) in just over 14 minutes, as the Americans also got 19 from Dwyane Wade and 17 from Dwight Howard. Team USA plays Russia on Sunday at 2 am CT on ESPN2.
  
• Australia led most of the game but couldn't fend off defending Olympic champion Argentina in the final of the FIBA Diamond Ball tournament, losing 95-91 (recap / photos). A day after his 32-point performance against Angola, Andrew Bogut saw fairly limited action and was icing down an apparent ankle injury near the end of the game.  Bogut was mostly invisible in the 20 minutes he did play, taking just three shots en route to four points (1/3 fg, 2/2 ft) and two rebounds.  Australia will face Team USA in a pre-Olympic exhibition game at 7 am CT on Tuesday, also on ESPN2.
• Watch the final two minutes of Australia's 81-78 win on Thursday.
• The Bob Boozer Jinx has more on the Australia and USA games.
• Green Bandwagon has a comprehensive look at the Australian roster.
• Ridiculous Upside is thinking long and hard about the Bucks' uncertain D-League situation.
• The inimitable Elie Seckbach of Fanhouse has a video interview with Redd. Among the topics: how Redd balances religion and basketball as well as his close friendship with Kobe Bryant.