Raptors-Bucks Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Apr 22 2012 11:16PM

While Brandon Jennings helped keep the Milwaukee Bucks' slim postseason hopes alive over the weekend, coach Scott Skiles' team is on the verge of elimination.

In need of a ton of help, the Bucks could have their eyes partially fixed on another matchup as try for a seventh consecutive victory over the visiting Toronto Raptors on Monday night.

Sitting three games behind Philadelphia for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference with three to play, Milwaukee (30-33) needs to win out and hope the 76ers go 0-3 in order to make it in, which would occur by virtue of a tiebreaker.

"We can't lose any sleep over what (the 76ers) do," Skiles said. "We created the position we're in and we, ultimately me, are responsible for the position we're in. We need to now win out and see what happens."

The Bucks host Philadelphia on Wednesday before concluding their schedule the following night at Boston. The 76ers play at New Jersey - a club long eliminated from postseason contention - on Monday night.

"I've been in this position before on other teams, and it kind of hurts," Milwaukee center Drew Gooden told the league's official website. "But all you can do is handle your upcoming games and see where you're at. Until you're mathematically out of the playoffs, all you can do is keep fighting."

The Bucks do seem to have a favorable matchup with Toronto (22-42) coming to town. Milwaukee has averaged 102.5 points while taking the last six matchups in the series, including a pair of road wins this season.

Since falling 91-87 on Nov. 1, 2008, the Bucks have also outscored the Raptors by an average of 12.6 points during a five-game winning streak at the Bradley Center.

After dropping five of six, Milwaukee seemed to get back on track Saturday with a 106-95 home win over the Nets. Jennings posted 30 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals while Ersan Ilyasova had 17 points and 17 boards for the Bucks, who scored a whopping 33 fast-break points.

Jennings has struggled against the Raptors this season, totaling 22 points in the two meetings while shooting 7 of 26 - including a 1-of-10 effort from 3-point range. Ilyasova missed a 105-99 win at the Air Canada Centre on Feb. 8 due to back spasms, but had 31 points and 12 boards in a 105-99 victory at Toronto on March 11.

The Raptors are coming off their seventh loss in nine games and third in a row, falling 76-73 at Detroit on Sunday.

Toronto, which took a 34-29 lead into the break as the teams combined for the league's second-lowest first-half output of the season, had a chance to send the game to overtime but Linas Kleiza missed a wide-open 3-pointer as time expired.

"LK had a great look at the end of the game and that's all we can ask for," coach Dwane Casey said.

Already without Andrea Bargnani, who was shut down for the season April 13 with a strained left calf, the Raptors are unlikely to have point guard Jose Calderon over their final two games. Calderon has been out since suffering a cut above his right eye during a 93-75 loss to Philadelphia on April 11.

Toronto concludes its schedule Thursday at home versus New Jersey.

Bucks eliminated despite 92-86 win over Raptors

By CHRIS JENKINS
Posted Apr 24 2012 12:09AM

MILWAUKEE (AP) In the end, there wasn't anything Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis or anybody else could do to save the Milwaukee Bucks' faint playoff hopes. Not even winning.

Jennings scored 25 points in the Bucks' 92-86 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday, but Milwaukee's postseason fate had already been decided. The Philadelphia 76ers beat the New Jersey Nets earlier in the night, clinching the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot and eliminating the Bucks from contention.

"I'm disappointed - very disappointed," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "We didn't get done what we were expected to get done, so if everybody in there is not very, very disappointed, then we've got big problems."

Ersan Ilyasova added 19 points and 15 rebounds for Milwaukee.

Ellis played despite an injury to his shooting hand, scoring 17 points on 4-for-14 shooting.

Skiles said he wasn't sure how badly the injury was bothering Ellis, but said the guard left the bench and went to the locker room with just over a minute left in the game.

"He battled through it tonight," Skiles said. "But with like a minute to go, a minute-five, I guess, he said he couldn't go any more so he went in the locker room."

James Johnson had 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors, who have lost four straight games.

Toronto's DeMar DeRozan was ejected in the second quarter after he was called for traveling and threw the ball down the court in protest.

"No matter how tough it gets or how much frustration sets in, fatigue, whatever it is, you've got to buckle up and roll with it," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "We talked about it after the game and it's a teaching moment for him. It's part of his maturity process. When you're the man on the team, you've got to be responsible for that."

But even without DeRozan - the top scorer in Toronto's lineup with Andrea Bargnani out injured - the Raptors stayed in control of the game going into the fourth quarter.

With the Bucks trailing by two points, Jennings converted a three-point play and Ellis made two free throws to give Milwaukee an 82-79 lead with 3:27 left.

After a technical foul on Toronto's Linas Kleiza, Jennings hit a free throw for a four-point lead with 2:42 left.

"We can't let frustration set in," Casey said. "We've got to finish the games in professional ways and play the game the right way. It was clearly a foul on (Kleiza). He ran over a guy and compounded it with a technical. Hopefully, we learned from it. That's what we're teaching right now."

Toronto cut the lead to three points with 32.6 seconds left, but Ilyasova hit two free throws to put the game away.

The Raptors had 22 turnovers, including nine in the fourth quarter.

"I think we just lost our composure," guard Ben Uzoh said.

Trailing the 76ers by three games in the standings going into Monday night, the Bucks needed to win their final three games and have the 76ers lose their last three to make the playoffs.

The 76ers visit the Bucks on Wednesday night, and Milwaukee was hoping to make that game meaningful.

"I didn't really know until after the game that they had clinched," Jennings said.

Instead, Wednesday will just be a playoff tuneup for Philadelphia.

"We were rooting for New Jersey, but it didn't work out in our favor," Drew Gooden said. "We handled our business tonight, but it is what it is."

The Bucks trailed by five points at halftime, then allowed the Raptors to begin the third quarter with a 13-4 run.

Toronto took a 61-47 lead on a jumper by Gary Forbes, who was knocked to the court and got up limping after the shot. Forbes was able to stay in the game.

After a fourth-quarter rally couldn't save their playoff hopes, Jennings says the Bucks are playing for pride in their last two games.

"We still didn't make the playoffs, but if we win these last two games, at least we went out with some wins, and went out with pride and dignity," Jennings said.

Notes: Casey started James Johnson instead of Aaron Gray, moving Amir Johnson to center. "I'm putting things together," James Johnson said. "Now that we have a couple of guys out I'm finally putting the pieces together and it's working out." ... Milwaukee was without Carlos Delfino because of a right groin injury and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute because of a sore right knee. ... It was Jennings' fourth straight game with 25 or more points.

Notebook: Bucks 92, Raptors 86

Posted Monday April 23, 2012 11:50PM

By Rick Braun, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Brandon Jennings scored 25 points and Ersan Ilyasova added 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 92-86 victory over the Toronto Raptors Monday night at the Bradley Center.

Despite the victory, the Bucks (31-33) saw their playoff hopes end when the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the New Jersey Nets earlier in the night.

James Johnson led the Raptors (22-43) with 22 points and 13 rebounds, but Toronto lost its fourth straight.

QUOTABLE: "Really? Is that what it was, 8 for 30? It's just energy and just a will to defend."
-- Bucks forward/center Ekpe Udoh, who keyed a defensive effort that held Toronto to 8-for-30 shooting over the final 19 1/2 minutes.

THE STATS: Although the Bucks were outrebounded (49-43) and outshot (44.2 percent to 37.2 percent), Milwaukee won because it killed the Raptors in ball security (22-11 in turnovers) and at the free throw line (28-for-36 for the Bucks, to 14-for-18 for Toronto).

TURNING POINT: The Raptors were having their way in the first 28 minutes, and a 13-4 run to open the third quarter had given them a 61-47 lead with 7:48 left in the third quarter. At that point, forward Udoh entered the game for Milwaukee to provide some energy and inside defense. The Raptors were 26-for-46 at that point, but went 8-for-30 the rest of the way as Udoh had two of his three blocked shots and altered numerous other attempts inside.

QUOTABLE II: "Look at our record against the top six teams in each conference, and it's not good. We just couldn't break through ... and every couple weeks beat one of those teams. We just weren't able to do it."
-- Bucks head coach Scott Skiles on his team's inability to record big wins as proved by a 5-22 record (3-17 in the East) against the top six teams in each conference.

HOT: In a game where both teams shot under 45 percent, second-year guard Gary Forbes' 6-for-9 night qualifies as hot.

NOT: Bucks center Drew Gooden was 1-for-7, and on a night where he wasn't helping on the defensive end that meant he played just 12 minutes and 41 seconds.

INSIDE THE ARENA: The Bucks honored the football and men's basketball teams of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, which both won NCAA Division III national championships.

GOOD MOVE: With his team a sieve at the defensive end, Skiles called a timeout and sent in Udoh with 7:47 left in the third quarter. The Raptors scored just 25 points over the final 19 1/2 minutes.

BAD MOVE: Toronto's DeMar DeRozan was called for traveling with 3:58 left in the second period, then threw the ball to the other end of the court and into the stands, earning a one-technical ejection from referee Mark Davis.

ROOKIE WATCH: Bucks first-round pick Tobias Harris played the entire second quarter and had four points.

NOTABLE: The Bucks were without three players from their rotation as forwards Carlos Delfino (groin) and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (knee) were injured and Larry Sanders was serving the second game of a two-game suspension. ... The Bucks are 9-29 in games against teams currently above .500 this season and 22-4 against teams currently below .500.

UP NEXT: For the Raptors, Thursday vs. New Jersey. For the Bucks, Wednesday vs. Philadelphia, Thursday @ Boston.

• Raptors: Bargnani, Bayless
• Bucks: Brown, Mbah a Moute

• Raptors: DeRozan, Kleiza
• Bucks: --

• Lead Changes: 5
• Times Tied: 9

• Arena: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
• Officials: #8 Marc Davis, #11 Derrick Collins, #77 Karl Lane
• Attendance: 13867
• Duration: 2:16