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vs. |
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|---|---|---|
| 31-43 (11-27 road) | 30-43 (15-21) |
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| March 30, 2009 - 6:30 PM CT |
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| Izod Center |
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Radio: 620 WTMJ TV: No local |
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Probable starters: |
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| Ramon Sessions |
PG | Devin Harris |
| Luc Mbah a Moute |
SG | Vince Carter |
| Richard Jefferson |
SF | Trenton Hassell |
| Charlie Villanueva |
PF | Ryan Anderson |
| Francisco Elson |
C | Brook Lopez |
| 103.4 (23rd) |
Off | (14th) 104.6 |
| 105.0 (14th) |
Def | (13th) 104.7 |
| 95.1 (11th) |
Pace | (22nd) 92.5 |
| 28.3 (6th) |
OReb | (23rd) 25.2 |
| 74.2 (11th) | DReb | (15th) 73.3 |
08/09 Series:
Jan. 9: @Bucks 104 Nets 102
I'm not sure I've ever heard Jim and Jon so stoic in a last second win--just goes to show you how close the Bucks were to unnecessarily blowing a game that they led by as many as 14 in the third. Redd was again all business in the first quarter with 15, but he was much quieter thereafter and finished with 24 (9/18 fg, 5/10 3fg). Still, he also hit an extremely difficult fadeaway that gave the Bucks a 102-97 lead inside a minute.
Feb. 3: @Nets 99 Bucks 85
Richard Jefferson returned to New Jersey wearing a new jersey, but former teammate Vince Carter (15/10/12) netted a triple double to doom the Bucks, 99-85.
The Bucks (0-7) and Nets (0-6) combined to miss 13 straight shots to start the game, foretelling an evening at the Izod Center that was not pretty. Especially for the road team.
March 3: Nets 99 @Bucks 95
19. Believe it or not, the Bucks' rebounding actually kept them in the game for a change--rather than nearly costing them the game. Milwaukee hauled down 19 offensive boards and 52 in total, compared to 8 and 42 for the Nets. OK, so throwing up so many bricks definitely helped inflate those second chances, but the Bucks' 35.8% offensive rebound rate for the night is well above their current average (28.8%).
Injuries
Nets: Devin Harris (left shoulder) is probable. Bobby Simmons (back) is questionable. Eduardo Najera (abdominal surgery) is out.
Bucks: Michael Redd (torn ACL and MCL) and Andrew Bogut (stress fracture in lower back) are out.
Three Points
-
Stop this sinking. A loss tonight would drop the Bucks behind the Nets in the East standings. Not only that, the idle Pacers would pass them by as well. That means Milwaukee must win tonight to avoid last place in the Central Division. The Bucks have finished last in the Central four straight seasons. After spending a good portion of the year in third place (and even having designs on second place for a bit), let us not drive for five straight fifth place finishes, Bucks. I'm trying not to get carried away, but Milwaukee is only 2.5 games ahead of Toronto for 14th in the East, and the Bucks ended last year 13th.
-
In like a lamb, out like a lamb? The Nets have lost four in a row and the Bucks have dropped five consecutive games. And New Jersey can blame their losing ways on the schedule even more than Milwaukee, considering the Nets lost to the Cavaliers twice and the Lakers once in their losing stretch. The Bucks have won at least five games in every month this season (excluding October) but need a victory to merely reach three wins in an un-lion-like March.
- Yi's the same. I wished the best for Yi Jianlian on his way to the Nets, though it admittedly would have been tough to watch him turn into a very productive player on another team. That said, Yi is on track to put up very similar numbers to his rookie campaign with the Bucks.
Yi Jianlian, the NBA years
| MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG% / 3PT % / FT % | |
| 2007-08 | 24:53 | 8.6 | 5.2 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.9 | .421 / .286 / .841 |
| 2008-09 | 23:53 | 9.0 | 5.5 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.6 | .391 / .346 / .780 |
Coverage