 |
vs. |
 |
|---|---|---|
| 26-21 (12-10 road) |
24-28 (14-8 home) |
|
| February 7, 2009 - 7:30PM CT | ||
| Bradley Center |
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Radio: 620 WTMJ TV: None |
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Probable starters: |
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| Allen Iverson | PG | Ramon Sessions |
| Rodney Stuckey |
SG | Charlie Bell |
| Tayshaun Prince | SF | Richard Jefferson |
| Amir Johnson | PF | Charlie Villanueva |
| Rasheed Wallace |
C | Francisco Elson |
| 103.2 (21st) |
Off | 103.6 (20th) |
| 103.4 (11th) |
Def | 103.6 (12th) |
| 89.4 (29th) |
Pace | 94.1 (14th) |
| 25.6 (20thth) |
OReb | 28.9 (6th) |
| 73.9 (15th) |
DReb | 74.4 (9th) |
08/09 Series:
Nov. 28: @Pistons 107 Bucks 97
Dec. 27: Pistons 87 @Bucks 76
Injuries
Pistons: None.
Bucks: Michael Redd is out for the season with a torn ACL and MCL. Andrew Bogut is out for two months with a stress fracture in his lower back. Luke Ridnour is out one month with a broken thumb.
Three Points
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Average versus Average. The Bucks and Pistons are probably the two most average teams in the NBA, despite both having records more than a couple games away from .500. Both clubs have been outscored by 0.1 points per game this year. Interestingly, Milwaukee has been outscored by five points overall this year, while Detroit has been outscored by seven points, yet the Pistons stand 4.5 games ahead of the Bucks.
- Healthy versus Hurt. Once upon a time, the Bucks won two games in a row by a combined 58 points, on truly magnificent evenings against the Knicks and Clippers. Tonight they start just one player (Richard Jefferson) who started those two splendid contests. Ridnour (leading in assists) is out with a broken thumb. Redd (leading scorer) is out with a torn ACL/MCL. Mbah a Moute is coming off the bench. And Bogut (leading rebounder) is out with major back problems. Be sure to vote for what you think will be the next injury. It's difficult to imagine Milwaukee can reach such heights again without 80 % of a lineup that worked so well, and brought so much pre-Christmas cheer. Meanwhile, Detroit's injury report is unreasonably empty.
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Offense versus Defense. Detroit is a jump-shooting team. Over half of the team's attempts are two-point jumpers; 51 % to be precise. They are pretty accurate in this regard, and the Bucks must stay on the feet of a trio of R's: Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton, and Rodney Stuckey. The loss of Bogut has been devastating on the defensive end, and losing Redd and Ridnour means more misses offensively, putting more pressure on the defense. Even with Villanueva at his best, the Bucks aren't going to outscore teams now. Players known for their defense, like Charlie Bell and Mbah a Moute, will have increased minutes. Bottom line: Scott Skiles will need to work miracles on the defensive end once more.
Coverage:
Bucks.com / Detroit Bad Boys / Need 4 Sheed / PistonsNationBlog / MLive