Bucks Coach Scott Skiles on shooting over 50% against the Lakers:

“Yeah, I mean it hasn’t happened to us that much this year, so normally when a team does shoot the ball well there’s a couple guys deep within the game that shoot it very well, and obviously Earl picked us up tonight. He really shot it well.”

Bucks Coach Scott Skiles on their defense tonight:

“Both ends were good for us tonight, so I don’t want to pick one more than the other. But in the second half we were as good as we’ve been all year on the defensive end. To hold that team to 33 points, and 13 [points] in the fourth, that’s a difficult task. I thought that we did a very respectable job on Kobe, and other than a few offensive rebounds we were really sharp on that end.”

Bucks Coach Scott Skiles on John Salmons shooting:

“Yeah, I thought all the guys tonight were, the first half as well we were aggressive, at least trying to get in there, trying to hit the seams. We put the pressure on the defense. John had a couple right at the rim that rimed out for him at the end of the night, but when we need him to go in there and make those plays he certainly can.” 

Bucks Coach Scott Skiles on finishing the game strong:

“Each time we appeared to be teetering a little bit we were able to make a series of big plays to extend the lead. So, you know, if you’re going to come into this type of place and beat this type of team you’re going to need those type of plays.”

Bucks Coach Scott Skiles on Earl Boykins performance tonight:

“No, we know he has it. This is what he’s done most of his career. He’s been able to come into games, not every game, not every time, nobody does that, but he can change a game. He learned a long time ago to use his size to his advantage. He does a good job of that, and on top of that he’s a very good shooter. Obviously we wouldn’t have won the game without Earl tonight.”

Bucks center Andrew Bogut on the play of Earl Boykins:

“It was huge for us. Once they started doubling me in the paint, Earl came in and was shooting with confidence. Once he started knocking down shots, the [hoop] was huge for him. He was key for us.”

Bucks center Andrew Bogut on the Bucks defensive effort against Kobe Bryant:

“We were sending bodies to help and obviously, he got frustrated towards the end and got thrown out. It worked to our advantage.”

Bucks center Andrew Bogut on his physical matchup with Pau Gasol tonight:

“It was just physical, nothing really. He’s holding, I’m holding; it’s part of basketball. I come out with scratches, he comes out with scratches. That’s just the way it goes. It’s a physical game down there. It’s nothing personal, we’re both just trying to win the game.”

Bucks guard John Salmons on the Bucks team effort tonight:

“Everybody came in, stepped up, played hard and competed. Everybody contributed well for us. I think as a team, if we get that effort, we can be tough. We still haven’t been healthy all year. We just have to go in every night, compete, play hard and see what happens.”

Bucks guard John Salmons on his and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute’s defense on Kobe Bryant:

“He’s a great player. Only thing you can do is try to make it as tough as possible for him. You just try to contest everything…and compete against him. I think if you can do that, you give yourself a chance. But he’s still a great player and he’s going to hit tough shots. You just can’t get frustrated when he hits those.”

Bucks guard Earl Boykins on the Bucks win tonight:

“I was just worried about the run they were going to make. Usually they always make a run in the fourth quarter and you just try to hold them off as long as possible. We were able to get defensive stops and that was big.”

Bucks guard Earl Boykins on how tonight’s win helps the Bucks’ confidence:

“It’s huge, especially the way we played last night. Last night we went out there and we didn’t play with any effort at all. We didn’t play like we even belonged on the court with the Trailblazers and tonight, to come out here and just play with effort and believe we were capable of beating them was huge."

THE BOGUT BAROMETER – In Andrew Bogut's last 22 games played (dating back to last season), a Bucks foe has topped 100 points in regulation just twice (L.A. Lakers 118 on 11/16/10, @ Portland 106 on 12/20/10 – Boston scored 105 in overtime on 11/3/10). In those 22 games Bucks opponents are averaging 92.3 points (2,030) on 44.0 percent shooting (740-1,681). The Bucks are also out-rebounding those opponents with an average of 43.1 rebounds to 41.3 (949-908). This season the Bucks are 3-1 when Bogut scores 20+ points, 3-1 when he grabs 17 or more rebounds and 3-2 when he blocks five or more shots.

SALMONS SONG – John Salmons had his fourth 20+ point outing of the season Monday night against Portland, leading the Bucks with 23 points. He had zero points in the first half but scored 14 in the third quarter. Salmons finished 8-13 from the field, including 2-3 from 3-point range. In his last four contests, Salmons has gone 8-12 (66.7 percent) from 3-point range and 22-47 (46.8 percent) from the field while averaging 15.8 points.

BIG MAN'S BIG GAMES – Andrew Bogut has recorded a double-double in five of the last eight games and is averaging team-highs in points (17.9), rebounds (12.4) and blocks (3.1) over that stretch. Bogut is also contributing 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal while knocking down 55.0 percent of his shots (60-109). Bogut is the only player in the NBA to average at least 14.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. If you drop the blocks to 2.0 per game, he is one of three players along with Orlando's Dwight Howard and the Lakers Pau Gasol to have at least 14.0 ppg/11.0 rpg/2.0 bpg.

NEARING NUMBERS – Bucks forward Drew Gooden played in his 600th career game Monday at Portland. A few other milestones are on the horizon for the Bucks: Andrew Bogut is five points (4,495) away from 4,500; Gooden is (447) three steals away from 450 and (395) five blocks away from 400; Ersan Ilyasova (1,455) is 45 points from 1,500; Scott Skiles is 10 wins away from his 100th victory with the Bucks.

DAUNTING DECEMBER – Entering December, 11 of the Bucks 13 opponents had a winning record. Earlier this month, the Bucks went 2-2 in a four-game stretch against teams with a combined 48-27 record. Tonight's game is the final game in a five-game span against teams (at Dallas, at San Antonio, vs Utah, at Portland and at L.A. Lakers) that have a combined 102-38 record (.729).

• Brandon Jennings underwent surgery Monday to repair a fracture of the fifth metatarsal of his left foot. He missed the first game of his NBA career Monday night at Portland. He had started in the first 107 regular season games of his career and 114 including the playoffs.
  
  
• With Jennings out of the lineup Keyon Dooling made his second start of the season against Portland. The 11- year NBA veteran had 12 points, five assists, one steal and zero turnovers in 28:15.
  
  
• Over his last eight games, Bucks guard Keyon Dooling has handed out 24 assists against two turnovers. That's a 12.00:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. On the season, the Missouri alum has posted a 2.80:1 assist to turnover ratio (56:20).
  
  
• The Bucks have held seven of their last eight opponents under 100 points and have gone 4-4 in that span. Six of those eight foes were held under their season average going into the game. Orlando scored 85 and averaged 99.3, Miami 88 and 100.7, Indiana 95 and 100.7, Houston 91 and 105.3, San Antonio 92 and 106.4 and Utah 95 and 100.2.
  
  
• Bucks center Andrew Bogut had zero blocks against Portland. That is just the second time this season (@ NO, 11/6) the NBA's league-leader in blocks was without a swat in a game.