Bucks 87 Clippers 78: Recap

The Bucks held the Clippers to 29 second-half points en route to an 87-78 comeback victory. And so a new winning streak commences...

Three Bucks:

1. Andrew Bogut. Excellent all-around game with 19 points on 10 shots, along with 12 rebounds, four blocks, and just one turnover.

2. Michael Redd. Called for the ball in the fourth quarter and converted.

3. Mo Williams. Couldn't shoot tonight, but kept teammates happy with sharp passes.

Three Numbers:

Zero. Mo Williams' turnovers.

.387. Clippers' field goal percentage.

11. Bucks' offensive rebounds, compared to just four for the Clippers.

Three Good:

1. Andrew Bogut fared quite well against a rejuvenated Chris Kaman. In what projected and proved to be the premier matchup, Bogut won the individual and team battles. It was an interesting heavyweight bout, featuring a couple guys who were highly hyped two years ago and are now realizing their big-time potential. Remember when Bogut was criticized because he took a lot of charges and made pretty passes, and how that wasn’t very center-like of him? I always liked those facets of his game, but understood why some wanted more rugged post play. Well, now he still does those things, but also blocks more shots than Yao Ming and Emeka Okafor, and dunks on people. His skill set is enormous, and this game is proof of what can happen when it all comes together. He also stayed out of foul trouble, enabling him to play 40 minutes.

2. It was the best, or at least the starters, for both teams the first eight minutes of the game. But the team meeting and pregame Los Angeles relaxation didn’t have much of a positive effect, as the Clippers jumped out to a 20-11 lead. Krystkowiak came back with his starting five in the second half and rode them until Jake Voskuhl subbed in for Bogut with 21 seconds remaining in the third quarter. They rewarded him by completely erasing the 13-point halftime deficit.

3. Normally a single play doesn't make the list, but Redd's three-pointer to extend the lead to 83-78 with under two minutes to go was just too nice.

Three Not-So-Good:

1. The zone defense in the first half caused more trouble than anything. And since Yi is new here, someone should probably let him know that Tim Thomas likes to settle for the outside shot, which he's very capable of making. The Bucks do know that, right?

2. More problems out of the gate for the Bucks. With Shaun Livingston and Sam Cassell injured, the Clippers let the smallish duo of Brevin Knight and Dan Dickau run the show. Williams didn’t take this as a cue to be aggressive offensively though, waiting until there was less than a second left in the first half to score. With Simmons and Desmond Mason offering little early on, Coach Krystkowiak went small, pairing Williams with Charlie Bell with limited success. It would have been nice to see a brief Royal Ivey cameo in the first half. The calls to shorten the bench are well-founded, but Ivey’s size would have been useful on both ends of the court.

3. The Bucks were cold from outside, making just 3-10 three-pointers. Thankfully they completely shut the Clippers down in the second half, as they weren't prepared for a shootout tonight.