In game one of their Vegas adventure, Ramon Sessions was pretty good and Joe Alexander was pretty bad.  Fortunately for the Bucks, both were better on Tuesday afternoon as Milwaukee bounced back to down the Stuckey-less Pistons 73-59 (JS recap / complete game video).  Sessions was the story with 21 pts (6/11 fg, 9/12 ft), six boards, four helpers, and just two turnovers in 28 minutes, getting into the lane at will and generally controlling the pace of the game. Meanwhile, Alexander looked much more collected than on Saturday, scoring 11 points on 5/9 shooting and flashing some of the skills that made him a lottery pick.

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The Bucks lost 88-79 to Memphis in the first game of their 2008 Vegas Summer League campaign last night (complete game video / JS recap). The main story from a Bucks' angle will be the struggles of Joe Alexander, who shot just 2/13 from the field and finished with seven points, three rebounds, one assist, one block and one turnover in 35 minutes.  The Bucks trailed by 16 at the half and 18 after three quarters, but narrowed the gap to as little as seven in the closing minutes, outscoring the Grizz 26-17.

The Bucks trailed by double digits most of the game against a Grizzlies squad that started off with a three guard lineup of Mike Conley, Javaris Crittenton and O.J. Mayo. Mayo stole the show with 26 points (9/19 fg), hitting contested jumpers from all over the court and showing just why he was so coveted in last month's draft.

Ramon Sessions played reasonably well, though his teammates didn't always seem to be playing at the same pace.  Sessions made just 1/4 fg but added 10/14 free throws and nine assists.  But he was also a turnover machine early and finished with seven turnovers, six of them coming in the first half.

D-League veteran Trey Johnson was probably the best Buck, scoring 11 points (4/7 fg) along with seven boards in just 15 minutes.  Perhaps playing in the D-League was good preparation for the open, often sloppy style that usually dominates in Vegas. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute was active on both ends though he finished with fairly modest numbers (four pts, seven rebs, one block, 29 minutes).  We'll probably find ourselves saying that a lot over the course of his career.

Alexander started 0/5 from the field before he finally buried an open 20-footer from the left wing midway through the second quarter. He then eased his way into the paint and rolled in a 10-foot turnaround jumper shortly thereafter. The rookie started the second half by driving to the hoop and earning a trip to the line, but he would go empty from there on out, missing his last six shots. That included airmailing an open 12-footer from the right baseline and putting a sharp-angled 17-foot bank attempt from the left side off the side of the backboard.

Defensively Alexander didn't stand out one way or the other, and the grainy and commentary-free coverage on NBA.com also didn't make it easy to sort out who he was guarding much of the time.  He showed good court vision offensively with a number of good looks to teammates around the hoop, but especially early on he looked a bit tentative on offense. As Charlie reported yesterday, Alexander still seems in search of a go-to move; playing both forward spots probably complicates that a bit since his role isn't very well-defined yet.

Alexander's tremendous leaping ability was on display every time he elevated to shoot in the lane, but as has been noted he still seems to be working on calibrating how much he jumps in various situations. At the end of the day it's just one game, but in many ways it didn't show Alexander to be too different than expected.  He has clear athleticism, skills and good court sense, but he's got some very rough edges. Mostly he just doesn't look quite as instinctive with the ball as you'd like him to be, but that's not a new critique.  The Bucks will have to figure out ways to make use of that athleticism going forward and Alexander will have to become more decisive offensively while working on his shooting and slashing. 

As for other guys, former Vandy big man Matt Freije looked out of sorts early but then found his stroke on the perimeter and finished with 11 points. PG Darius Washington showed flashes of his natural talent in the second half, but also turned it over four times in addition to his nine points in 18 minutes.  Wisconsin native Matt Lojeski hit a pair of triples and finished with seven points in just 12 minutes.

Next up: Detroit at 5 pm on Tuesday.

In fitting form, the Bucks lost their final game of the season by blowing a substantial lead to one of the NBA's worst teams, falling 110-101 in overtime to the Timberwolves. The lackluster extra five minutes pushed the Bucks' season-ending losing streak to eight games.

Three Bucks

• Ramon Sessions. We have more on Sessions below, but first we can't help but comment about how refreshing it is to see his teammates looking to return the assist favor on occassion. Yes, only on occassion, but it's a start. Sessions' pass-first-and-second nature is obviously appreciated and maybe even a little bit infectious. Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut, and Charlie Villanueva have all attempted flashy passes with pretty good results lately. Might Memo be bringing back the pass?
• Andrew Bogut. Bogut had his way down low, scoring 22 points on 11-16 from the field along with 15 rebounds. He didn't get to the free throw line or pick up a steal or block though, the implication being we've seen him more aggressive.
• Desmond Mason. As usual, it's not an easy task finding three worthy Bucks of late, but we'll give the nod to Mason, who showed some effort getting to the line, where he made all six of his free throws. And mark him down as happy to have an alley-oop'ing point guard.

Three Numbers

• 1. As in, the Bucks won only one period out of five tonight, and while the second quarter was impressive, that couldn't make up for the slow start and even worse, mostly wasteful and shameful finish.
• 32. Randy Foye netted a career-high 32 points, and torched the Bucks from long range, hitting 4-5 (mostly open) three pointers.
• 5:38. The Bucks held the Timberwolves scoreless for 5:38 after Marko Jaric hit a three pointer with 6:05 to go in the second quarter. In doing so, they turned a four point deficit into an eight point lead. The Timberwolves aren't a good offensive team, but that usually doesn't matter (see: later in the game). After allowing a depressing 32 points in the first quarter, the Bucks actually played some defense as they won the second quarter 29-13.

Three Good

• Sessions' impression. Memo has made encores his trademark so far in the NBA, seemingly always topping his last effort with something more spectacular. Coming off an all-world performance against the Bulls, Sessions maintained a very high level of play against the Timberwolves. He didn't drop 27 assists or anything, but did show off more precious point guard instincts by moving the ball quickly and decisively and delivering the ball to players in positions to score. He finished with 25 points, 14 assists, and seven rebounds, which shockingly isn't even all that surprising anymore. With Mo Williams and Royal Ivey out, he also logged 53 minutes. If nothing else, Sessions has given us a great reason to look forward to...
• Next year. And the countdown to 2008-09 starts... now. For a team that finished so poorly, there were some positives to take from the season's final few weeks. In addition to the blinding bright spot that was Ramon Sessions, we were happy to watch Desmond Mason pretty obviously care despite having little to play for. We also witnessed Andrew Bogut's game grow this season, evolving into a legitimate defensive presence and more consistent offensive contributor this year. With new GM John Hammond in place and the offseason beginning tomorrow, we're forecasting an eventful and interesting offseason.
• Draft. The NBA draft is 70 days away. They just blew a 16-point lead to the Timberwolves to lose their eighth in a row, what else did you really expect?

Three Bad

• Where closing games doesn't happen. Naturally, the Bucks just couldn't cruise to a win, despite holding a 16-point lead with 20 minutes and change remaining in regulation. The Bucks let the Timberwolves come all the way back to tie the game at 83-83 and then couldn't close the game in regulation, carelessly turning the ball over on multiple occassions with the game in the balance. Up 94-90 with 1:23 in regulation, the Bucks didn't attempt any sort of shot again until overtime. At least the Bucks' collapse gave Timberwolves fans a win to appreciate on Fan Appreciation Night in Minneapolis.
• Defenseless. The extra period allowed time for the Timberwolves to hit triple digits in points, the thirteenth straight opponent to score at least 100 points against the Bucks. The Bucks left three point attempts and driving lanes wide open in the first quarter and reverted back to their defenseless ways late in the game.
• The season. The Bucks finish the year with 26 wins, an entirely disappointing total and a dozen games short of the meager 38 wins required to make the playoffs. The East isn't catching up to the West in the immediate future, but it's never going to get easier to punch a postseason ticket than this year.

Can you guess which fundamental aspect of basketball was missing from the Bucks' final home game of the season? Hint: it's the same one that's been missing from pretty much every Bucks game. In a game that was offensive on a number of fronts, Ramon Sessions' Bucks record 24 assists (along with 20 points and eight boards) went for naught as the Bulls shot an absolutely silly 67% from the field in rolling to a 151-135 win at the Bradley Center. Luol Deng led the Bulls with 32 (15/20 fg), but the Bulls bench was the story with 76 (!) points, highlighted by Chris Duhon's 22 points and 15 assists (and no turnovers) and Ben Gordon's 29.

Three Bucks

• Ramon Sessions. Sessions certainly benefited from a ton of possessions and hot Bucks shooting, but it's tough to rack up 24 assists without those two things. He reached double digit assists in the first quarter and had 12 by halftime, and if that wasn't enough he also scored a career-high 20 points and eight rebounds along with only two turnovers. He hit a couple jumpers and scored on a number of quick drives to the hoop, including an impressive two-hand dunk as he elevated past two defenders in traffic. The kid's going to be alright.
• Andrew Bogut. Bogut bounced back from three straight anonymous performances with 25 points, eight boards, and two blocks in 30 minutes. The Bucks actually gave Bogut the ball in the first quarter, and with the Bulls playing him one-on-one he dropped in a couple short hooks early en route to 11 first quarter points. Bogut also easily eclipsed his career highs in free throws made and attempted (9/14), just the third time in his career he's had double digit attempts (he had 10 fta twice earlier this season).
• Charlie Villanueva. Playing for the first time since his 38/12 night in Toronto on Wednesday, Villanueva had another offensive explosion in the first quarter, scoring 18 points including four three pointers. However he scored just four points the rest of the way, reminding us how frustratingly streak he can be.  

Three Numbers

• 42. There was no shortage of noteworthy stats in this game, but let's start with the Bulls' incredible 42 assists. While Sessions big night will get the headlines, Duhon set his own career high with 15 assists, and he did it in just 30 minutes, an assist rate only slightly less than Sessions' 24 in 43 minutes. Both guards were getting plenty of cheap assists, as the Bucks especially couldn't find their defensive assignments in transition, leading to tons of open shots.
• 76. Considering Ben Gordon's penchant for lighting up the Bucks, a big night from Chicago's bench wasn't altogether surprising, but 76 points from the "scrubs" is downright absurd. Gordon's 29 in 28 minutes led the way, but Duhon's unlikely 22 and 15 was the real backbreaker.
• 24. Sessions set a new NBA season-high in addition to breaking the Bucks' franchise record (21, Guy Rodgers in 1968) with his 24 assists, a number he's likely never to top. As with any record, it was the perfect storm: hot shooting, porous defense, fast pace, and by the end guys were shooting immediately because they wanted him to get the record (when else does Jake Voskuhl became a catch-and-shoot player?). And oh yeah, some great passing might also have been involved. Ironically, Rodgers also once had 24 assists in a game--while playing for the Bulls.

Three Good

• Memo. There's been lots of talk about Sessions' nickname possibilities: Razor, Ramonster, and Noodles seemed the front-runners. But at least for now the more obvious one is Memo. No, not as in Mehmet "Memo" Okur, but as in the box score memo any time a guy sets a career high. Sessions has now set some sort of career-high in seven straight games, and tonight he set three: points, rebounds and assists. In addition to the assist record, he also became the first Buck to ever tally 20 points and 20 assists in the same game. No, he wasn't stopping anyone on the other end, but on a night like this we'll give him a pass--we have to feel good about something, right? And all those records had Scott Williams joking about a new nickname for Mo Williams: Wally Pipp.
• Bogut wakes up. Bogut shook off some lackadaisical play of late to bounce back with a strong offensive night that included 8/11 fg and that personal-best 9/14 ft. Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah just aren't strong enough to prevent Bogut from backing them down deep into the paint, though at least Thomas managed to swat one of Bogut's shots back to halfcourt. Especially given the Bucks' mediocre three point shooting this year, it's always surprised me a bit when teams allow Bogut to go one-on-one with smaller post defenders.
• Bobby's back! Well, kinda. One guy who really looks to have benefited from Sessions' distribution: Bobby Simmons. With 15 points tonight, Simmons has now posted 11 or more points in eight of nine contests this month, averaging 13.1 ppg on .536/.471/.857 shooting in 24 mpg. Simmons' game at this point revolves mostly around catching, setting his feet and shooting in rhythm, and the rookie's propensity for finding Simmons off screens and penetration is helping both guys put up numbers.

Three Bad

• Defense, obviously. The Bulls scored 39, 42, and 39 in the first three quarters before "slumping" to just 31 in the final period. They had 100 points with 6:36 left in the third quarter. I believe Pete Myers had 16 off the bench while wearing a three-button suit and wingtips. So yes, the Bucks' defense was terrible (and the Bulls weren't much better). No one could find a body to cover in transition and they collapsed and surrendered open looks at the slightest hint of penetration in half court. They also refused to show/recover on screens, meaning whoever was handling the ball invariably got an open look regardless of whether his man went under or over the screen. Of course, it probably wouldn't have mattered, because the Bulls got locked into a ridiculous zone that saw almost everyone stroking 18-foot jumpers. Jon McGlocklin compared it to an all-star game, and while there probably weren't quite that many dunks, it wasn't that far off either.
• Another double-digit lead wasted. As per usual, the Bucks DID at one point lead this game by double digits: they led 28-16 with under five minutes remaining in the first as they demolished their season-high with 45-first quarter points. But for all their hot-shooting they led by only six after one quarter, and the Bulls simply kept coming, establishing a double-digit lead with 2:10 remaining in the second and never looking back.
• Taking a step back. With just one game remaining and only 26 wins to their credit, the Bucks are guaranteed to finish worse than their injury-plagued 06/07 season (28-54). Unfortunately, this year they won't receive the consolation prize of having the third-best odds of winning the lottery, as they currently rank seventh in the lotto standings.

The Bucks didn't look all that concerned about auditioning for their new boss, falling 111-98 to the Nets in front of new GM John Hammond. Vince Carter had his shooting mojo, making 10/15 shots for 21 points along with 10 assists, while the Bucks got nice nights from Desmond Mason (18 pts), Bobby Simmons (15) and Ramon Sessions (12/13), but no-shows from Mike Redd and Andrew Bogut.

Three Bucks

• Ramon Sessions. The rookie had perhaps his best game yet, scoring 12 points (6/11 fg) along with 13 assists, six rebounds, two steals and just two turnovers. His counterpart Devin Harris torched the Bucks the last time the two teams met, but Harris was fairly subdued offensively with 13 points with nine assists, six steals and five turnovers. Sessions' defense was perfectly respectable, but Harris also wasn't as aggressive as he could have been against his rookie defender. Offensively, Sessions started the game with a 10-foot floater before hitting a pair of jumpers and getting into the lane for his other three field goals.
• Desmond Mason. Lately Desmond's offense has been a little too jumper-happy for my taste, but tonight he managed to make a couple early mid-range shots and then stay in the flow with some more aggressive work going to the hoop. Though he turned it over five times, his attacking approach netted him 18 points (7/11 fg), four rebounds and three assists.
• Jake Voskuhl. The Bucks for some reason just looked a lot more fluid with Jake on the floor than Bogut; while Voskuhl was +16, Bogut was a dreadful -26. With Mike Ruffin in streetclothes, Jake made the most of his 17 minutes by notching eight points (3/3 fg) along with four boards, two steals and a block.

Three Numbers

• .562/.500/1.000. Those were the Nets' shooting percentages; good luck finding a team that shoots the ball that well and doesn't come away with a win.
• 13. With Mo Williams out, Redd and Bogut are the teams' leading scorers, yet they somehow combined for just 13 shots in a combined 64 minutes. The Bucks were actually quite democratic in their shot distribution with Mason (11), Sessions (11) and Simmons (10) the only players taking double-figure shots.
• 20. The Bucks turned it over 20 times, with Bogut and Mason accounting for half of those. Especially in light of the Bucks' 54% shooting, turnovers were the only way for the Nets to get their transition offense, and their 11 steals helped do just that.

Three Good

• The Hammond era begins. One of the few things to be optimistic about these days: things might be changing soon.
• The Sessions effect. There's something refreshing about watching them push the ball with Sessions running the offense. Perhaps because he's a rookie trying to win the trust of his teammates, Sessions is pass-first almost to a fault. Especially when driving to the hoop he looks hesitant to shoot, which leads to occasional indecisiveness when the pass isn't there. That causes problems especially late in the shot clock, where he has nowhere close to Mo Williams' ability to improvise a high percentage shot for himself. But in transition and early in the clock his unselfishness seems to inspire plenty of movement--guys know he'll get them the ball, so they seem more motivated to work to get open.
• Short bench. With Mo, Villanueva, Yi, Bell and Ruffin all sidelined, the bench's depth was already lacking. But Simmons, Voskuhl, Storey and Ivey fared just fine, combining for 42 points on 16/27 shooting.

Three Bad

• Emo Bogut. Perhaps Bogut was traumatized by his 10 turnover outing against Boston, because he's been offensively tentative and defensively meek in the three games since then. Tonight was perhaps the most egregious example yet, as he finished with just seven points, eight rebounds and five turnovers despite relatively few touches. Since Sessions has been starting the Bucks have been running curiously few plays for Bogut, but it's tough to argue he should be more involved when he's so lacking in energy. It's clear that many of the Bucks' regulars are just playing out the string, but especially with a contract extension to play for you'd hope to see fewer games like this from Bogut.
• Intensity schmintensity. Jon McGlocklin offered a sad summary of the Bucks defense when he noted in the fourth quarter, "If you can't run your offense and have a big offensive night against the Bucks, you've got a problem." The Bucks seemed to be zoning a lot, but the Nets had little trouble attacking and moving the ball until someone had an open three or a dunk. While Richard Jefferson (24 points and seven assists) and Carter were up to their usual tricks, Bostjan Nachbar was a more surprising zone-buster, making 6/8 fg including 3/3 from deep.
• Losing the war at home. After starting the season 6-0 at the BC, the Bucks guaranteed a second consecutive losing season at home with tonight's loss.

As they did on Tuesday, the Celtics again played their starters sparingly, but this time around the Bucks couldn't rally against Boston's second unit in dropping a 102-86 decision at the Garden. Rajon Rondo outshone the Big Three with 16 points, 10 assists and five boards in just 23 minutes, while Mike Redd needed 18 shots to get his team-leading 18 points for the Bucks. Charlie Villanueva DNP'ed because of a strained hammy.

Three Bucks

• Awvee Storey. Much of Storey's production came deep into garbage time, but then again we probably shouldn't hold that against him considering the game was decided after about a quarter. In contrast to most of his teammates, Storey had no problem keeping his motor running all night, notching 12 points and seven boards in just 17 minutes. So to summarize: Storey stands out because he tried.
• Ramon Sessions. Sessions seems to set a new career-high in something every game, and tonight was no different as he racked up 14 assists, the third time in four games he reached double figures. Unfortunately his ambitious passing night also led to five turnovers, nearly all of them on tough passes that he just couldn't pull off. Defensively, Sessions again didn't show that much intensity, and playing against Sam Cassell he seemed extra wary of being embarrassed by the wily old vet. Rather than more aggressively go after Cassell, Sessions was mostly content to concede jump shots. All told, Rondo and Cassell combined for 26 points, 14 assists, nine rebounds and four turnovers in 40 minutes.
• Mike Ruffin. Typical hard-hat night from Ruffin, who grabbed nine boards and wasn't credited with a shot in 19 minutes of action. Unfortunately for the Bucks, it's tough to win games when Storey and Ruffin are two of the team's standouts.

Three Numbers

• 4. On paper it seems somewhat bizarre that the Celtics won so comfortably while getting just four points from the line. But the Celtics' lack of action at the charity stripe mostly reflected the Bucks' lackadaisical defense, which sagged off shooters and offered little resistance to guys finishing around the hoop.  
• 33. The Celtics finished with a staggering 33 assists on their 44 made field goals, accurately reflecting the ease with which the C's moved the ball around to open shooters. Of course, it also helps your assist numbers when the vast majority of your points come on made field goals.
• 0. After racking up a disturbing 10 turnovers in Milwaukee on Tuesday, Andrew Bogut was mostly uninvolved offensively until the fourth quarter, when he scored eight of his 14 points. The one positive side to that: fewer touches helped Bogut avoid turning the ball over altogether.

Three Good

• John Hammond. Midway through the game Jim Paschke gave the Bucks' official confirmation: Pistons VP of Basketball Operations John Hammond is the team's new GM. While there's much work to be done and plenty of questions to be answered, Hammond looks like an excellent choice.
• Happy birthday, rook. Don't expect to see Sessions starting next November--he's clearly got a ways to go. But even while taking his lumps over the past week, the experience of playing real NBA minutes is nothing but a good thing. Sessions celebrated his 22nd birthday with another big assist night, helping further cement his role in the rotation next year.
• Journeymen getting after it. Don't blame Storey, Ruffin or Royal Ivey for the lax attitude the Bucks brought into Boston on Friday. What little energy the Bucks did bring to the game was mostly courtesy of their more well-traveled vets. And while these guys aren't particularly suited to being major parts of an NBA rotation, as a fan it's hard not to appreciate their intensity at this stage of the season.

Three Bad

• No contest. Here's another game where the +/- ratings really tell the story. Despite playing less than 25 minutes apiece, the Celtics' starters each had a differential +10 or greater, indicative of the easy time they had dominating the Bucks' best unit. Rondo led the way with with +21, while the Bucks' had only one sterter (Gadzuric's minus-7) avoid double-digit negatives.
• Look alive, fellas. With plenty of jumpers early in the shot clock (how about an occasional post look to Bogut?) and minimal defensive intensity, it seems evident that these guys will be glad to have the season over with. It doesn't seem like players are dogging it per se, but with nothing to play for there's obviously no urgency either. Guys clearly don't feel guilty putting up contested jump shots that might otherwise earn the ire of the coaches. Sessions for one does seem to enjoy moving the basketball around, and Redd especially seems to be focusing almost entirely on scoring now that he has a pass-first PG starting next to him. Is this a good thing? Who knows. It's very difficult to get a good read on what could work next year because guys seem fairly checked out.
• Cousy's insight. I normally enjoy having Bob Cousy sit in on Celtics' telecasts--he's not nearly as biased and intolerable as Tommy Heinsohn--but he admitted on a few occasions that he really doesn't watch much basketball anymore. That showed after a Bogut layup when he said "I don't know if he's your starter, but he does some positive things on the court." Heinsohn and play-by-play man Mike Gorman then tried to clean up after Cousy a bit, going over Bogut's numerous strengths before Heinsohn finally said that there were very few big men like Bogut in the league. It's never a good sign when Tommy's the voice of reason.

Charlie Villanueva scored 25 points in the first 15 minutes against his former team in Toronto, but Chris Bosh proved the Raptors were just fine at power forward, scoring 32 points along with 11 rebounds, four blocks, and three steals as the Raptors never trailed in the second half, sending the Bucks to a 111-93 loss.

Three Bucks

• Charlie Villanueva. When you are 6'11", mobile, and have the shooting form of a guard, you can't help but blow up once in a while. For Villanueva, it all came together around 6:15 p.m. tonight. Coming into the game averaging 9.6 points in his career against the Raptors, he scored the Bucks' first 11 points in under ten minutes. He didn't stop there, going for 27 points and nine rebounds in the first half on his way to a season-high 38 points along with 12 rebounds. He brought enough first-half energy to heat up singe eastern Canada, swishing six three pointers in an electric offensive display that prompted the power forward to also spit some verbal fire in the direction of the opposition. He eventually cooled off though, problematic since no one else really got hot for the Bucks in the first place.
• Bobby Simmons. Simmons wasn't on from outside (1-5 on three's) but aside from that and dribbling the ball out of bounds during Villanueva's hot streak, he played relatively competently. The number two and three Bucks here could be just about anyone because no one really stood out other than Villanueva.
• Ramon Sessions. His shooting woes continued, as he started 0-6 from the field. And while he turned the ball over four times, he did rack up 10 more assists.  He's averaging 8.0 assists in April. He and Ivey however got some point guard lessons, as the Raptors' duo combined for 19 assists without a turnover.

Three Numbers

• 16. That represents the number of first-half field goal attempts by Villanueva, as well as the other four starters. Villanueva made 10-16, while Sessions, Redd, Mason, and Bogut made 2-16.
• 1. As in one minute, the time it took Villanueva to make as many three-pointers (three) from 10:07 to 9:07 of the second quarter, as the entire Raptors' team made combined the entire game.  
• 7/6. The Raptors had more blocked shots (7) than turnovers (6), surely a good recipe for a win.

Three Good

• The few, the proud: the good times. In a massively disappointing season, it's comforting to cling to the (few and far in between) special moments: Mason's perfect game in the team's first matchup against Raptors, the five-game winning streak against the big boys in mid-November that now feels dreamlike, Yi arriving on the scene against the Bobcats, Redd's pull-up game winner against the Cavs, fourth quarter magic against the Nuggets, and Sessions' improbable last second winner. Even though the main course lasted less than a quarter and a half, Villanueva's barrage of points was truly something to behold. Unfortunately, just as the Raptors dealt away Villanueva's unfulfilled potential, the Bucks might also part ways with the talented forward wondering whether his next team will reap more consistent rewards.
• CV/Ford. Both players have frustrated fans with inconsistent play, but both teams got tonight what they had hoped for when making the Villanueva/Ford trade. Villanueva was dynamic offensively and Ford had a sparkling point guard line in 22 minutes: 14 points, seven assists, and zero turnovers.
• Bench. For the second straight night, the backups played rather well, as Royal Ivey, Bobby Simmons, and Michael Ruffin combined for a + 9 differential while the starters racked up a - 99. Ivey hit a couple big three pointers when no one else but Villanueva was scoring, and Simmons accumulated 11 points and six six assists, earning 29 minutes, ten more than Mason. Ruffin may have been posterized by Bosh, but he also came away with a team-best + 10 differential. And Bosh was just in one of those posterizing moods tonight.

Three Bad

• VNuv's day spoiled, again. The Bucks were responsible for making Villanueva's career-high 48 points bittersweet back in 2006 when they defeated the Raptors. Ironically, they did so again tonight by failing to step up on either side of the ball, as Bucks not named Villanueva shot an unsightly 36.5 % from the field and the team allowed at least 100 points for the ninth straight time. You also might recall that the Bucks lost last season when Michael Redd went for 57 against the Jazz, so we shouldn't be surprised that Villanueva's mere 38 weren't enough. To make matters worse, Villanueva actually ended up being outdone by Bosh, who controlled the game throughout on both ends of the floor.
• Trying to find a balance. Villanueva received a remarkable lack of offensive support from his fellow starters in the first half tonight, as the Bucks managed to trail at halftime despite Villanueva's wondrous performance. Redd was the only other starter to score in the first half, and his eight points came on an inefficient 2-7 from the field. It was also curious that after Villanueva scored the team's first 13 points to open the second quarter, he got just two shots off in the eight minutes prior to halftime, as the Bucks failed to consistently feed him the ball.
• Reality strikes again. We noted that Bosh managed to get the better of Villanueva, and the other matchups were more lopsided as the Bucks couldn't keep pace with a playoff team still fighting for position. Ramon Sessions had a difficult time keeping up with the two-headed point guard attack of T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon. Rasho Nesterovic outplayed Andrew Bogut. Even though Redd took five more shots, he was outscored by Anthony Parker. Jamario Moon was quiet, but we heard more from him than Desmond Mason. And while the bench performed admirably, they couldn't match Calderon's passing, Bargnani's scoring, and Kapono's shooting. The Bucks won big in Toronto way back in November, but the Raptors have asserted their superiority in the past two matchups, winning by a combined 49 points.

Doc Rivers had little interest in actually winning this game, but the Bucks' lethal combination of zero intensity early and a failure to execute late allowed the Celtics' scrubs to grind out a 107-104 OT win. Rivers, perhaps forgetting it was April 2008 and not April 2007, watched Kevin Garnett (21 points in 19 minutes) and Paul Pierce (14 in 20) build commanding Celtics' leads in both the first and third quarters, but the Bucks were then able to fight back in spite of themselves against Eddie House, Tony Allen, James Posey, Leon Powe and Glen Davis. Andrew Bogut racked up his first career triple-double with 15 points, 15 boards and 10...turnovers. Yikes.

Three Bucks

• Bobby Simmons. Simmons' six fouls prevented him from playing a role in the game's end, but his 13 points in 26 minutes helped spark the fourth quarter comeback that improbably allowed the Bucks to turn a
• Michael Redd. Redd scored 12 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, capping the Bucks' comeback with a corner three-ball that tied the game with 10 seconds remaining.
• Ray Allen. Nope, no longer a Buck, but in a game where almost no one played well for the home team, Milwaukee fans at least got to see their former hero back in action for the first time since he moved back East. Like the rest of the C's starters, Allen played only limited minutes, but contributed 11 points on 4/10 shooting in 22 minutes.

Three Numbers

• 46. Both teams showed little care for the ball, tallying 23 turnovers each. Bogut (10) and Ramon Sessions (5) set the tone for the Bucks, while Big Baby led the Celtics with seven.
• 33-19. After leading through three quarters only to be blown out in the fourth on Sunday, the Bucks did the reverse tonight, trailing by 14 through three quarters before a 33-19 fourth sent the game into OT. Redd's 12 along with Royal Ivey's (surprising) nine led the way as the Bucks had the benefit of facing the Celtics without any of their key players on the floor.
• -27. Charlie Villanueva looked like a guy trying to prove people wrong...namely, the three people who still want to make him the Bucks' starting PF in 2008/2009. Perfectly summarizing his basketball existence, CV followed up his 22/13 effort in Indiana by scoring two points (1/6 fg) in 16 minutes while racking up a game-worst minus-27 differential.

Three Good

• Ivey, Simmons and Mason trying. Shooting-wise, both Mason (4/15 fg) and Ivey (3/9) were poor to say the least. In fact, Ivey's attempts to look for his shot and drive to the hoop in the first half bordered on comical. But while most of the Bucks looked lethargic and disinterested defensively, Ivey actually looked to be trying on both ends in the fourth, setting a tone that Simmons and Mason followed through the rest of the game. Nowhere was that more evident than in the OT when Mason won a 40-foot battle for a loose ball, diving to the floor and allowing the Bucks to get a timeout.
• Redd's big shot. With Ray Allen missing the teams' first two meetings, Tony Allen had been making a habit of shutting down Redd, and that was again the case for most of the first three quarters. But Redd pump-faked Allen on a corner catch and, after watching him fly by, calmly stroked a three to tie it at 99 with 10 seconds remaining.
• "At least it was a good game." It's something of a farce that the game was as close as it was--only Doc Rivers stopped the Celtics from winning easily. But especially with the Bucks' lottery position fairly locked in, there's nothing wrong with enjoying a comeback and a competitive finish (even if it does involve Brian Scalabrine).

Three Bad

• Bogut's triple-double. For better or worse, Bogut filled up the box score: 15 points (5/14 fg), 15 rebounds, 10 turnovers, five assists, four blocks, and two steals. Bogut was simply brutal on the offensive end, doing his best three stooges impression in coughing up 10 turnovers--a nice mix of telegraphed passes, three second violations, fumbled passes, and balls simply ripped out of his hands. A trio of great passes from Sessions helped him score 10 first quarter points, but by then he already had five turnovers. And after another field goal in the second made him 5/8 from the field, he went completely dark offensively, missing his final six shots and going into a shell on the offensive end: ah yes, the return of "Emo Bogut." Perhaps wisely, he simply gave up looking for his shot and focused on setting picks and passing from the top of the key instead (hence his five assists), but still managed a few more turnovers and a terribly awkward post miss midway through OT. Perhaps the most unfortunate side of these sorts of games is how they reinforce the Bucks' reliance on Redd to create offense and ignore his teammates. While Bogut in particular has frequently alluded to Redd's nasty habit of going one-on-five, in games like this he has little choice because Bogut essentially concedes that he can't score out of the post.
• Bucks' starters. The Celtics' starters were utterly dominant against their Milwaukee counterparts, and only Doc Rivers' reluctance to play them more than 20 minutes each kept the final scoreline remotely respectable. Offensively, Garnett in particular toyed with Charlie Villanueva and Michael Ruffin, while defensively the Celtics were active and deflecting passes while stoutly preventing open looks inside and out. That was in stark contrast to the Bucks, who allowed the Celtics to get wherever they wanted on the court. The C's jumped out to a 17-2 lead to start the game before the Bucks somehow clawed it back to a 32-29 deficit after one. It was then more of the same in the third, as Pierce's three turned a 60-45 halftime lead into a 74-49 edge four minutes into the second half.
• Ramon's braincramp. Like Bogut, Sessions filled up the box score in both good and bad ways, setting a new career high with 13 points along with seven assists, six rebounds, three steals and five turnovers. He found Bogut on a handful of nice assists while also looking a little more comfortable attacking the hoop. But Sessions also continued his habit of poor decision-making late in games--remember his bad foul against Quentin Richardson and less egregious but poorly-timed bump on Gilbert Arenas--by going for a layup at the end of OT with the Bucks down three. Like Mo Williams against the Bobcats in the second game of the season, Sessions seemed unaware of the clock as he pushed the ball upcourt following a free throw miss, and he couldn't even make his layup as the ball rolled off the iron at the horn.

In a game that meant a lot more to the Pacers than the Bucks, Indiana used a 26-5 blitz at the start of the fourth quarter to erase a 10 point deficit and spark them to a 105-97 win at Conseco Fieldhouse. Danny Granger led the Pacers with 27 while Jeff Foster (16/15) dueled Andrew Bogut (16/14) to a draw. Ramon Sessions had eight points and 10 assists starting in place of an "injured" Mo Williams, but he was outplayed by Travis Diener, who made five fourth quarter threes en route to 18 points and five assists.

Three Bucks

• Charlie Villanueva. CV tallied 22 points and 13 boards, aggressively going to the hoop much of the night. He made half of his 16 shots while also hitting 5/7 free throws.
• Desmond Mason. Mason was junk while putting up too many jumpers on Friday, but he was far more aggressive tonight, scoring 16 on 7/11 shooting. After Bogut threw down a vicious slam on a late-rotating Troy Murphy on Friday, Mason took his turn tonight, spinning baseline on Mike Dunleavy and throwing it down past Murphy.
• Andrew Bogut. Even with the altruistic Sessions starting in Mo Williams' place, Bogut saw surprisingly little of the ball in the post, taking only eight shots in 39 minutes. Still, most of them were chip shots and he connected on six of them in addition to 4/8 free throws, 14 boards and three more blocks. However, like on Friday his big statistical night was essentially matched by Foster--a guy no one ever talks about but can play on my team any day.  

Three Numbers

• 38. The Pacers missed plenty of open shots in the first three quarters, but the law of averages kicked in at the start of the fourth when they scored the first 16 points to take an 83-77 lead. All of a sudden the Pacers couldn't miss, helped greatly by the penetration and ball movement that was giving them open looks all night.
• 3.13. That was the Pacers' assist/turnover ratio as they collected 25 assists compared to just eight turnovers.
• -11. After racking up a combined +34 rating in his previous four games, Sessions came back down to earth in his first start, finishing a team-worst -11 thanks to his presence during Diener & company's fourth quarter barrage.

Three Good

• Ramon in session. Sessions' first career start had plenty of ups and downs, probably more of the latter than the former. But we'll say it's a good thing if only because it's important the Bucks get an extended look at the rookie's abilities before the draft and free agency. The good: Sessions again showed excellent vision and his 10 assists reflect his ability to consistently put players in a position to score. Even after a made field goal, Sessions has a penchant for picking out teammates with 30-40 foot lead passes that catch the defense off guard. The bad: Sessions' defense was far more porous than in previous games and he's still struggling to sort out his role as an NBA scorer. Somewhat ironically, Sessions' defense was probably worse against Flip Murray (4/15 fg) than Diener, who got most of his threes off the Bucks doubling and ball movement. Perhaps looking to conserve some energy knowing that he was going to play huge minutes, Sessions didn't show the sort of defensive intensity that he has in previous outings, though he was credited for two blocks.
• Bogut's numbers. Bogut notched his 36th double-double of the season in his 72nd game of the season, including eight of his last nine games. The only exception being the Atlanta game where he had 27 points and nine boards before leaving with a broken nose. In 2008, he has racked up 25 double-doubles in 41 games while averaging 16.0 ppg and 10.4 rpg.
• Ben Sheets. Oh sorry, was I supposed to say something about the Bucks? Let's stick with the Brewers' ace.

Three Bad

• P-Redd-ictable. With the Bucks' missing Mo Williams' scoring punch, Redd knew he had the green light all day and came out gunning. That was fine until the fourth, when the Bucks gave Bogut and Villanueva a rest and left Redd to fire away on his own. He missed three difficult jumpers in the first two minutes of the quarter to set the tone for the Bucks as they would struggle to score for the rest of the game. Though Redd managed to lead the Bucks with 24 points and added seven rebounds, he needed 21 shots to do it and also turned the ball over four times.  
• Return of the fourth quarter collapse. The Bucks had outscored their opponents in the fourth quarter in five straight games, but entering the decisive period up 10, the Bucks seemed a bit confused. To their credit, the Pacers responded like a team that had something to play for, making 13/21 fg including 7/10 triples. And while the Bucks had an 18-14 edge in assists through 36 minutes, the Pacers racked up a staggering 11 assists in the fourth quarter while the Bucks had none.
• Six left. The Bucks need to go 2-4 in their remaining games just to match their dreadful 06/07 campaign, a rather shocking indictment of a lost season that has been far less injury-plagued than the previous campaign. They also rank just seventh in the lottery standings after finishing last season third (though they dropped three spots thanks to the lottery). With the Clippers at 23 wins and the Bobs at 29, it's unlikely the Bucks move up or down between now and the end of the season.

So much for that winning streak. As much as the Pacers seemed intent on keeping the Bucks in the game, they made enough big shots to snare a 105-101 win at the Bradley Center. Mike Dunleavy continues his strong campaign for a Rogaine endorsement, combining some great play (27 points, 11 boards) with his rapidly thinning mop of hair. Pretty uninspiring stuff from both teams, but Indiana keeps alive their faint playoff hopes. Former Marquette star Travis Diener added 11 points and five assists in 26 minutes off the bench.

Three Bucks

• Andrew Bogut. Bogut keeps racking up 20/10 games (21/16 to be exact), but he didn't look particularly good doing it. He never got anything going in the post against Jeff Foster, which helps explain his subpar 8/17 shooting night, but Mo Williams and Ramon Sessions got him a number of easy hoops. Credit Foster (9 points, 16 boards, three blocks) for a very nice game opposite Bogut. Bogut did however have the highlight of the game with a huge one-handed dunk on Troy Murphy.
• Michael Redd. Redd was shooting (28 points on 24 shots) and doing little else (four boards, one dime), but he can be forgiven to some extent because his teammates were providing little offensive ingenuity of their own.
• Ramon Sessions. Sessions continues to rack up big minutes (31) and respectable stat lines (11 points, seven assists, four rebounds, two TOs), but tonight he couldn't provide nearly the game-changing effect that he has the past three games. After posting ratings of +17, +16, and +5 in the previous three contests, he was a minus-4 tonight. Still, his defense was solid in man-to-man situations and he looks to be a good complement to Michael Redd: while Sessions defends and passes, Redd shoots. Yep, you know Redd loves playing with Ramon. He also hit his first NBA three pointer en route to a career-high 11 points, though he also missed a couple chippies as well as a couple free throws in the fourth quarter--the last one after taking a two-handed flagrant foul to the face from Mike Dunleavy with the Bucks trailing by five with 17 seconds left.

Three Numbers

• 21. The Pacers' inability to hang onto the ball was the main reason Indiana could never build a more commanding lead, as they turned it over 21 times, more often than not without all that much pressure from the Bucks. Jermaine O'Neal had a nice shooting game as he works his way back into shape, making 5/7, but inexplicably managed to cough it up six times in just 19 minutes. Dunleavy was the next biggest culprit, with five turnovers. While both teams shot 35 free throws, the Bucks had 14 more shot attempts thanks to being +5 in turnovers and +9 in offensive rebounds.
• +18. Despite all those extra shots, the Bucks made only three more field goals than the Pacers, but three point shooting decided the game. While the Bucks made only 2/10 from deep, Indiana hit 8/19, giving them an 18 point edge in that category. Dunleavy made four of six from deep, including a couple daggers in the fourth quarter as the Bucks were keeping the game close.
• 18:17. Mo Williams played fewer than 30 minutes for the fifth straight game, seeing only 18 minutes of action. While Krystkowiak's continued preference for Sessions is the main factor for the streak, foul trouble was also an issue tonight. Williams was never into it offensively, making just 1/5 fg, but he did manage four assists and no turnovers in his limited action. He also got fourth quarter burn for the first time in a week, coming in for the closing minutes. He seemed to be bringing a little more defensive intensity than usual (read: he was trying to D up but kept getting called for fouls), which I'll guess is his pride kicking in, and he also seemed more intent on creating for others. Is he looking over his shoulder a bit?

Three Good

• Jonny Mac. With the game not being carried by FSN Wisconsin, I saw only a couple short glimpses of Jon McGlocklin's halftime jersey rededication on the Indiana feed. But hats off to the Original Buck on his special night.

  "I remember when I retired, I said, "I don't just play for the Milwaukee Bucks. I am a Milwaukee Buck.' I said that then, and it's been true for 40 years. It's so much of who I am. I'm a lot of ofther things in my life, but this is a big part of it."

• Krystkowiak's obSession. A couple weeks ago we were bemoaning Larry K's unwillingness to give Sessions a chance to play, but now he can't seem to get enough of his young point guard. Whether it's just basic logic or a way to put Mo Williams in his place, we're more than content to let the rookie show us what he's capable of.
• Brewers win! Sorry, but let's not fool ourselves--Milwaukee is infinitely more interested in the Brewers' opening day victory than in yet another meaningless Bucks game. Fortunately the Brewers are delivering the goods so far.

Three Bad

• Bo-ring!. Yep, we've reached the dog days of the season and both the Pacers and Bucks played like teams on the outside of the playoff race. All the turnovers and missed opportunities kept it close, but to say the game was exciting would be stretching it. If you missed out because you were expecting FSN Wisconsin to carry it, consider yourself lucky.
• Yi's done. Fortunately it's not a serious injury, but Yi Jianlian's sprained MCL will shelve him for the rest of the season. With only seven meaningless games left, the focus should clearly be on getting Yi ready for next season. And while the Olympics mean a busy summer for Yi, some rest now might be the best thing for him anyway.
• Marquis Daniels' hair. Seriously, what the hell's going on there? His head looks like a rotting pineapple or something.