Regardless of their competition, the start to the post-Bogut era in Bucks basketball has so far been very nice. Portland was a team that recently took to the decision to rebuild after a disapointing stretch, and that's exactly what they played like. Drew Gooden set the tone early with 13 points in the first quarter, and the Bucks took a 25-23 lead. The game was rarely that close afterwards though, as the Bucks pulled away to a 54-43 halftime lead, proceeding to stretch that to 20+ in the third quarter.
The Bucks' fantastic teamwork continued, as they notched 30+ assists for the fourth straight game. Monta Ellis made his presence felt, scoring 14 points on 4-8 shooting, and perhaps even more importantly dishing out 9 assists. Beno Udrih and Mike Dunleavy brought the firepower off the bench with 15 points each, while the Blazers bench (2-29 FG) was ineffective to say the least. With a New York win, the Bucks remain a half game behind the Knicks for the final playoff spot in the East.
Box Scores: Basic / HoopData / Basketball Reference / Popcorn Machine Gameflow
Recaps: Brewhoop / Bucksketball / Behind The Buck Pass / JS Online / Blazersedge / Portland Roundball Society / The Oregonian
Notes: JS: Jennings wants Bucks to keep streaking / Bucks Beat: Soap Opera Saga led to Bogut Trade / FS: New faces help add to Bucks' winning streak. / Blazers Edge: Media Row Report