Notebook: Bucks 92, Nets 85

Posted Sunday February 19, 2012 10:38PM

By Abe Schwadron, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: The Milwaukee Bucks spoiled the season debut of Brook Lopez behind a career night from Ersan Ilyasova, beating the New Jersey Nets 92-85. Ilyasova finished with 29 points and 25 rebounds (both career-highs) and the Bucks relentlessly crashed the boards, helping snap a four-game losing streak. A 9-0 New Jersey run cut a double-digit deficit to just five points with 1:07 remaining, but Carlos Delfino hit a crucial three-pointer with under a minute left and Milwaukee iced the game at the free throw line to improve to 13-18 on the year.

QUOTABLE: "[Ilyasova] was pretty much the number one guy on our scouting report, because he gave us quite a bit of trouble last year, and he came back this year and did the same thing...he out-hustled us, kind of out-energied us. For us, we just couldn't get him off the boards."
-- Nets coach Avery Johnson

THE STAT: The Nets shot 34 percent from the field as a team, including 22 percent from three-point range (5-for-23). In the first half, New Jersey shot 23 percent on field goals and 58 percent on free throws.

TURNING POINT: Milwaukee led 43-36 at halftime, and came out of the break on fire, using a 15-4 run to start the third quarter to take a double-digit lead. The Bucks led by as many as 18 in the second half.

QUOTABLE II: "He had a great game all the way around. He was very active doing what he does, tipping balls, keeping them alive, both boards, and he caused a lot of problems out there. He caused a lot of problems out there and he's a big reason we won the game."
-- Bucks coach Scott Skiles

HOT: Ilyasova. He started hot, with 11 rebounds and 8 points in the first quarter, and through three quarters, he had 24 and 20. Even while playing a good chunk of his minutes at center, Ilyasova was a force on the boards before fouling out with two minutes to play, grabbing 13 offensive rebounds and tormenting the Nets' frontline. His 27 rebounds tied Dwight Howard for the NBA season-high. The Bucks scored 22 second-chance points.

NOT: MarShon Brooks and Deron Williams. Brooks scored 12 points, but shot 3-for-14, while Williams scored 26 points, but needed 24 shots to get there. The tandem shot a combined 3-for-16 from three-point range.

GOOD MOVE: Every single one of the 11 active Bucks players saw action in the first quarter, as coach Skiles used what's left of Milwaukee's depth to keep his starters fresh. It paid off, especially defensively, as the Bucks held New Jersey to 19 percent field goal shooting in the opening quarter.

BAD MOVE: Late in the third quarter, Deron Williams turned his ankle, sidelining him for a stretch and momentarily killing New Jersey's momentum. He winced in pain on the bench but returned to the game.

QUOTABLE III: "I told him, 'Don't foul out man, we need 30!'"
-- Bucks guard Brandon Jennings, on Ilyasova's big rebounding night.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Jon Leuer played just 18 minutes, but two of his six points came on a thunderous baseline dunk over Nets center Shelden Williams midway through the third quarter.

NOTABLE: Lopez had a forgettable start to his 2011-12 season, despite playing 22 minutes. The 7-foot center scored 9 points on 2-for-7 shooting, and was 5-for-11 from the charity stripe. Lopez never found a rhythm, and came up with only two rebounds.

UP NEXT: For the Nets, Monday @ New York, Wednesday vs. Magic, next Tuesday @ Dallas. For the Bucks, Monday vs. Magic, Wednesday @ Chicago, next Tuesday vs. Wizards.