Krause's Corner
with Dennis Krause

November, 2006
November 28, 2006

GO WEST YOUNG MEN
The Bucks western trip this week sent me scurrying to the invaluable Bucks media guide for research about past journeys out west. I looked at trips of at least four games. Some of the trips included additional games at the front or back that were not west coast cities. Here are some trips that stand out, for good or bad.

Best Trips:

6-0 in 1984-'85. The Bucks had already won five games in a row when the road trip began in late January. It started with victories in Kansas City, Houston and San Antonio. The second half of the trip featured Bucks wins in Golden State, Seattle and Portland. The Bucks won 59 games that season.

5-0 in 1970-'71. The championship season was highlighted by winning streaks of 16 and 20 games, still the two longest single-season streaks in Bucks history. During the 16 game streak early in the season, the Bucks rampaged through San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Chicago for a perfect November trip. The Bucks won 66 games during the regular season, posting a 28-13 road record.

5-0 in 1972-'73. The Bucks ended the regular season in March with a victorious trip through Seattle, Golden State, Phoenix, Portland and Los Angeles. The Bucks won 60 games but stumbled in their opening playoff series, losing 4-2 to Golden State.

8-1 in 1971-'72. It wasn't an undefeated trip and it wasn't just out west, but this extended road schedule deserves honorable mention. It started on January 26 in Detroit and continued with wins in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Golden State and Phoenix before a loss in Los Angeles. It ended with victories in Houston, Buffalo and finally on February 9 in Cleveland. The Bucks came home and promptly lost to New York.

Worst Trips:

0-6 in 1974-'75. With Kareem injured with a broken hand early in the season, the Bucks lost in Washington, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Golden State, Seattle and Houston. It was part of 1-13 start that the Bucks never recovered from. They finished out of the playoffs at 38-44 and then traded Kareem to the Lakers after the season.

0-5 ... Unfortunately, there have been plenty. 1977-'78, 1990-'91, 1991-'92, 1992-'93 and 2004-'05.

0-4 ... Also plenty to choose from. Twice in 1976-'77, twice in 1978-'79 and once in 1993-'94, 1994-'95, 1995-'96, 2001-'02 and 2004-'05.

November 20, 2006

KAREEM THE TUTOR
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is being credited with helping the development of Lakers center Andrew Bynum. For years, I've felt that Kareem has been unfairly criticized as being unable to coach. Okay, maybe he wouldn't be a great head coach. But to say that he can't help tutor a young player because he was moody 30 years ago is ridiculous. I think that more NBA teams should use past great players to work with their young guys. Are you telling me that Bob Lanier and Moses Malone couldn't teach a few things to a young big man in the NBA?

SIXERS AND CELTICS FACTS
The Bucks host Philadelphia Wednesday night and Boston Saturday night. Here are some useless trivia tidbits about Sixers and Celtics history to wow your friends with.

Philadelphia:
Both of the Sixers NBA titles were clinched on the road. They won the 1967 championship in San Francisco and the 1983 crown in Los Angeles...When the Sixers set a record for NBA futility in 1972-'73 with just nine victories, one of their wins came over a Bucks team that went on to win 60 games. On February 14, 1973 in Philadelphia, the Sixers beat the Bucks 106-104. The Sixers came into the game with a 4-58 record but the win started a stretch in which they posted five victories in seven games...The Sixers franchise record-holder in scoring (21,586) and games played (1,122) is Hal Greer...The winningest coach in Sixers history is Billy Cunningham. He won 454 games between 1978-'85.Cunningham scored 50 points aagainst the Bucks in a 1970 playoff game in Philadelphia but the Bucks won the contest...Only three Sixers have scored 53 or more points in a game. Wilt did it eight times and Allen Iverson four. The other? The unlikely Willie Burton in 1994. He averaged 15 points per game that season, his only one in Philadelphia...The Bucks and Sixers have met nine times in the playoffs. Philadelphia won six series and the Bucks won three. The most recent meeting was in the 2001 Eastern Conference finals.

Boston:
The Celtics have won 16 NBA titles, but the Boston team with the best regular season record didn't even make the NBA finals. The 1972-'73 Celtics went 68-14 but lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals at home to the eventual champion Knicks...Bill Russell holds the Celtics record for most rebounds in a game with 51 against Syracuse on February 5, 1960...John Havlicek is the Celtics franchise leader in points (26,395) and games played (1,270). He also played in 172 playoff games even before the era of more rounds and longer series...The Bucks swept the Celtics in last season's series, 3-0. It was the first regular season sweep for the Bucks against Boston since they won all five meetings in the championship 1970-'71 season...The late Red Auerbach won nine NBA titles as Boston's coach. Bill Russell, Tommy Heinsohn and K.C.Jones each coached two champions with the Celtics and Bill Fitch coached the 1980-'81 Celtics to the title...Can you name the two Celtics coaches before Red Auerbach took over in 1950? Honey Russell and Doggie Julian...The Bucks and Celtics have met five times in postseason play. The most memorable occasion was Boston's seven-game victory in the 1974 NBA Finals. The Bucks have beaten the Celtics in only one playoff series, a sweet sweep in 1983.

November 13, 2006

REDD LETTER NIGHT
When Utah led the Bucks by 24 points in the first half, it hardly looked like a memorable Saturday night at the Bradley Center. Michael Redd changed all of that with his Bucks-record 57-point performance. Unfortunately, it came in a losing effort.

Redd got to 30 points in relatively quiet fashion. After scoring 15 points in the first half, he poured in 17 points in the third quarter. Then came the 25-point explosion in the fourth quarter. He almost single-handededly pulled out what would would have been one of the most incredible victories in Bucks history. Can you imagine if Redd had hit that three at the buzzer for 60 points and a comeback win?

Michael takes away a team record from Kareem that had stood for almost 35 years. Redd joins Kareem as the only Bucks players to ever score 50 or more points in a game. Now, Michael is on top of the list. It's another step toward Number 22 hanging from the rafters of the Bradley Center (or hopefully a new arena in Milwaukee) someday.

KAREEM'S TOP 10
Kareem may no longer hold the single-game scoring record, but keep in mind that he scored 50 or more points 10 times in a Bucks uniform. Michael Redd has a ways to go to match that. While studying "Kareem's Top 10", two things struck me. First, the Bucks were 8-2 in those games. Second, three of those 10 games happened in a 10-day stretch in February of 1972. Here's the complete list of Kareem's 50-point performances in chronological order.

  • February 21, 1970...51 in a 140-127 win over Seattle. The game was played in Portland.
  • November 4, 1970...53 in a 110-108 win at Cleveland.
  • January 27, 1971...53 in a 132-129 win at Boston.
  • December 10, 1971...55 in a 120-104 win over Boston at the Milwaukee Arena. This was the record.
  • February 9, 1972...53 in a 126-121 win at Cleveland.
  • February 13, 1972...51 in a 117-109 win at Boston.
  • February 18, 1972...53 in a 132-126 home loss to Philadelphia.
  • March 17, 1972...50 in a 123-107 loss at Los Angeles.
  • January 2, 1975...52 in a 116-111 home win over Atlanta.
  • January 19, 1975...50 in a 122-108 home win over Portland.
    November 7, 2006

    UP AND DOWN
    The first four games of the Bucks season have revealed a pattern of win, loss, win, loss. That’s a recipe for the .500 mark so Terry Stotts is right to be concerned about inconsistency.

    The Bucks knew the Bulls would be angry and determined after losing two straight games, including giving away their home opener to the Kings. That’s why they should not have been surprised with the high level of intensity from Chicago. It proved to be too tough to match. With home games at a premium over the next couple of weeks, the contests against Houston and Utah at the Bradley Center this week grow in importance. It was good to see Bobby Simmons taking some shots on the United Center floor before the game Monday. The Bucks bench has not been productive the last couple of games and Simmons’ absence is certainly felt. Charlie Bell and Steve Blake have been struggling with their shots and it would provide a boost. Blake told me that he’s still getting comfortable with knowing when and where to deliver the ball to his new teammates.

    IN THE CROWD
    A visit to the United Center always includes interesting spectators. Former Buck and Bull Toni Kukoc was on hand. Strange to see him sitting in the stands. I’ve got to believe he’s still got the itch a little bit. Former Marquette and Bucks guard Lloyd Walton also was in attendance. I didn’t see any Bears strutting around. They were probably getting in extra practice after getting trounced by the Dolphins.

    November 1, 2006

    HOME OPENERS
    The home opener is always special. The energy and the anticipation are unique. It's great to see the loyal season-ticket holders but also fun to see the "event" fans who come to "the big games".

    What better way to spend a Saturday night?

  • Through the years, the Bucks are 27-11 in home openers, 13-5 at the Bradley Center.
  • The Bucks have won their last three home openers and seven out of their last eight.
  • The Bucks have won three home openers by 30 or more points. They whipped Boston by 36 in 1992, Cleveland by 34 in 1971 and Chicago by 30 in 2003.
  • The Bucks most lopsided loss in a home opener was a 21-point defeat to Buffalo in 1976.
  • The most points scored by a Bucks player in a home opener was 39 by Kareem in 1970. The Bucks won that game in double overtime against Baltimore, a preview of the NBA Finals the following spring.
  • The biggest night for an opponent in a Bucks home opener was Michael Jordan's 46-point performance in 1991. The Bucks won the game 109-107.

    KINGS STUFF
    This will be the first time that the Bucks have played the Kings franchise in a home opener... The strongest link between the franchises was the Oscar Robertson trade with the Cincinnati Royals in 1970. Oscar still holds the Kings franchise records for points and assists. Despite playing 10 years with the Royals, Oscar is not the franchise's all-time leader in games played. Sam Lacey holds that distinction...The Bucks shot 67 percent in a 140-82 rout of the Kings on December 15, 1985... The Kings franchise started as the Rochester Royals in 1948. Among the players on that first Royals team were Red Holzman and Fuzzy Levane, both future coaches of the Milwaukee Hawks... Jon McGlocklin wore number 11 in his two years with the Royals from 1965-'67. Jon's teammates in Cincinnati included future Bucks Oscar Robertson, Wayne Embry, Flynn Robinson and Bob Love.

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