GAMEDAY: Milwaukee vs Indiana - 12/08/10

Jake's Take: A Battle of Past vs. Present, 12/08/10

Bucks vs Pacers
This is most definitely the kind of win the Bucks needed. These are the kind of wins that can help a team regain its confidence and propel it on a lengthy winning streak. They're now one win over Houston away from what should be considered a successful... Read Full Article

Head Coach Scott Skiles

On the final play...
"It's not as simple as drawing it up. We work on that often, it's one of those things you work on and only use four or five times a season. Great pass by Luc Mbah a Moute; there was a little bit of contact on the screen but Luc couldn't have put that in a better spot."

On the offensive rebounds...
"We had 15 in the first half and that was one of the reasons we had a lead then. We went through our struggles again tonight. We had a lot of balls go in and out, but we battled through it. The guys hung in there and for the most part are fighting through a lot of frustration in these games and you can understand it. I was glad to see it turn out well for them tonight."

Forward Ersan Ilyasova

On his game tonight...
"With Drew Gooden out, we were short on our big guys, so everyone had to step up and do something positive for the team. I just tried to do my part for this team and help the team out in our situation. We have to keep going and take this into the next game and play the same way we did today."

On what this win does for the team...
"Any win is important for us. It doesn't matter who we play. The last game against Miami was a close game and it was disappointing for us when we lost that game. With today's win it gives us a lot of positive energy and we have to build on it."

Center Andrew Bogut

On the final play...
"We actually run that play quite often in practice. We knew this play was coming before coach drew it up. When there is that much time left on the clock, we knew the pass had to go towards the basket. We ran this play for Larry Sanders in exhibition play and he missed the dunk, so we ran it before. If Luc's pass is just a little bit off to one side it's very hard to get a good tip on it, so he made the perfect pass; and Brandon Jennings' screen was great. For a little guy, he got into Jeff Foster and was able to free me up just enough."

On a win like this...
"We had been struggling offensively. Indiana has been a pretty good team in the league. They have beaten some good teams and to get a win like this it feels good to get this in the final seconds. We knew it was going to be a tough night and hopefully we can get things rolling."

• With tonight's win, the Bucks improve to 2-3 in games decided by three points or less.
  
  
• Tonight's game was the third in a set of four straight home contests for the Bucks before departing on a six-game road trip, with five games on the West Coast.
  
  
• The Bucks established a 10-point first quarter lead after trailing early. Milwaukee is now 2-1 when scoring 30 or more points in the first quarter and 5-3 when posting 50 points or more by halftime.
  
  
• The Bucks tied for eighth in the league in offensive rebounds coming into tonight's game, while their opponents ranked first in the league in the same category. Milwaukee held Indiana to only five offensive boards tonight, while racking up 19 of their own (total of 50 rebounds). The Bucks averaged 17.6 offensive rebounds and 42.75 total rebounds per game before tonight.
  
  
• Andrew Bogut went 7-10 from the free throw line, making four straight attempts at one point. He was averaging 44.3 percent from the stripe coming into tonight's game.
  
  
• Before tonight's game Milwaukee was averaging 27.5 free throw attempts (averaging 73.5 percent); the team had 40 attempts (80 percent) from the stripe tonight.
  
  
• Four Bucks players scored in double digits tonight, in part thanks to 19 assists; Milwaukee averaged 17 dishes per game before tonight. Indiana's opponents ranked third in assists coming into tonight's contest.
  
  
• Ersan Ilyasova scored a season-high 21 points tonight, to go with his season-high 10 rebounds.
  
  
• Brandon Jennings led the Bucks in scoring with 22 points. Andrew Bogut contributed a team-high 11 rebounds, swatted five shots and hit the game-winning tap-in shot off an inbound lob from Luc Mbah a Moute.
  
  
• Milwaukee came into tonight's game ranked last in the league in scoring; while holding its opponents to the sixth fewest points in the league. The Bucks are now 3-4 when their opponents score 90-99 points.
  

DAUNTING DECEMBER - Welcome to December, where 10 of the 13 Bucks games this month feature opponents that have records of .500 or better and those 13 opponents combine for a 165-104 record (.613). If you take out Houston (8-13) and Sacramento (4-15), the combined record is 153-76 (.668). The Bucks are at the end of a fivegame stretch (@ Utah, @ Denver, vs. Orlando, vs. Miami and vs. Indiana) against opponents who are currently .500 or better. After the Bucks play Houston, the team then has another tough five-game stretch, at Dallas (17-4), at San Antonio (17-3), vs. Utah (16-6), at Portland (10-11) and at the Lakers (15-6).

BIG MAN'S BIG GAME - Andrew Bogut is currently grabbing rebounds at a career-best rate. His 11.6 rebounds per game would represent a career high if the season ended today and he would join a group of just four Bucks players in the franchise's history to average at least 11.0 rebounds per game. The last Buck to average 11.0 rebounds per game was Swen Nater (12.0) during the 1976-77 season. Elmore Smith (11.4 rebounds, 1975-76), Kareem Abdul- Jabbar (six seasons of 11.0 or more rebounds) and Zaid Abdul-Aziz (13.0 rebounds, 1968-69) are the other players on the short list. Bogut has grabbed double-digit rebounds in nine of the 14 games he has played this season and has six double-doubles. Bogut tallied 31 points (one off his career-high) and grabbed 18 rebounds against Orlando on Saturday. It was the second time in his career that he had a game of 30+ and 18 (the other coming on December 21, 2009 at Indiana). The last Bucks player to record at least 30 and 18 before Bogut was Vin Baker, who had 35 points and 21 rebounds at Washington on February 25, 1996.

NEARING NUMBERS - A few personal milestones are on the way for Bucks players. Ersan Ilyasova needs one 3-pointer (currently at 149) to reach 150. Andrew Bogut (487) is nine blocks away from passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (495) for fourth in franchise history. Carlos Delfino (249) is one steal away from 250 for his career and (346) needs four threes to reach 350. Drew Gooden (445) is five steals away from 450, (596) four games away from 600 and (394) six blocks away from 400. The Bucks franchise (1,797) is three wins from 1,800. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (991) is nine rebounds away from 1,000.

• Tonight the Bucks take on the Indiana Pacers in their fourth Central Division contest of the season. Milwaukee is currently 1-2 against its own division with its lone win coming against the Pacers (94-90) in Indiana on Nov. 5. After tonight's game, the Bucks next Central Division match-up comes Tuesday, Dec. 28 at Chicago.
  
  
• Milwaukee has had an equal amount of turnovers or fewer turnovers than its opponent in its last seven games. Over the last seven, Bucks foes are averaging 15.0 turnovers per game while the Bucks have just 10.9 miscues per game.
  
  
• One year after ranking 20th by drawing 20.3 fouls per game, the Bucks are now first in the league by drawing 24.6 fouls per contest.
  
  
• The Bucks are sixth in the league by grabbing 41.6 rebounds per game and tie for the league-lead by snagging 77.6 percent of the available defensive rebounds.
  
  
• In 16 career games against Indiana, Andrew Bogut is averaging 15.6 points on 56.4 percent from the field, 10.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. Bogut sat out with a migraine earlier this season against Indiana.
  
  
• Over the last five games, Brandon Jennings is averaging 22.6 points per game on 42.2 percent from the field, which are both above his season averages of 18.3 ppg and 39.4 FG%.
  
  
• Milwaukee is second in opponent points in the paint, allowing 35.2 points per game. The Bucks are third in the league in opponent second-chance points, allowing 11.4 per game.