A FOUL HONOUR – The Bucks came up short on the scoreboard against the Bulls on 2/4, but still produced a
record-setting effort in terms of fouls (or lack thereof). Milwaukee established a new franchise record by committing
just eight personal fouls in the game, surpassing the previous low of 10 (set twice, most recently on 1/25/03 vs.
Denver). Those eight fouls led to just four Chicago free-throw attempts, which were the fewest by a Bucks opponent
since New Orleans went to the line just three times in a 94-91 Milwaukee win on 11/13/04.
I JUST WANNA STOP – And tell you what…Drew Gooden has done over his last seven games. With help from
Montreal's Gino Vanelli, the Bucks forward has increased his scoring role in the absence of Andrew Bogut. Gooden
is averaging 18.9 points while connecting on 49-of 92 field goals (.533) over his last seven. He's made 32-of-35
attempts from the charity stripe (.914) in that stretch and seen his free throw percentage rise from .789 to .849.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS – The Bucks rank among the league's best at the free throw line this season, shooting
78.6 percent as a team (4th in the NBA). Individually, five Bucks players are shooting 80%, including the two players
on the team with the most attempts this year (Jennings: 59-73, 80.8%; Gooden: 62-73, 84.9%). Stephen Jackson
(87.8%), Shaun Livingston (85.0%) and Jon Leuer (84.2%) are all cracking the 80% mark this season as well. As a
team, the Bucks have failed to shoot at least 70% from the line just once in the last 12 games.
THE KID IS HOT TONITE – Just as Loverboy announced their presence to the music world in 1980, Brandon Jennings announced his place in the NBA history
books as he stuffed the stat sheet in the 2/1 win over Miami, finishing with 31 points, eight assists and four steals. Perhaps what stood out the most, though,
was that he did it all without committing a single turnover in nearly 42 minutes of action. Jennings' effort puts him in rare company in NBA annals. Over the
last 10 years, just three other players have hit those marks in points, assists and steals without committing a turnover
- The Bucks have produced their three largest free-throw attempt disparities of the season in the last three
games. Milwaukee attempted 33 FTs to Detroit's 19 on Friday (+14). Then posted a 19-4 (+15) advantage on
Saturday vs. Chicago, followed by a 20-8 edge (+12) last night vs. the Suns.
- Colour us impressed with Shaun Livingston's play this season. SDot is having his best scoring season (7.8 ppg)
since '06-07 (9.3 ppg) and he's on pace to shoot a career-best from the field (.528).
- Guess Who leads the Bucks in rebounds this season…? Ersan Ilyasova has been big on the boards this season
averaging a team-high 8.6 caroms per contest. He recorded a team-high 12 boards in the loss to Phoenix last
night including 3 on the offensive glass. He has grabbed at least one offensive rebound in 15 consecutive
games, which ties the longest streak of his career. He had a career-best 15-game run from 3/17/10 through
4/12/10.
- Isn't it Ironic that the Bucks have either tied or outscored their opponents in the fourth quarter in each of the
last 13 games.
- The Bucks have won six of the last seven meetings with the Raptors, including the last two in Toronto. To
make up for the Raps losses, the Milwaukee Brewers sent Brett Lawrie to the Blue Jays prior to the 2011 MLB
campaign.
- Tonight the team PR staffs have initiated a traveling trophy for the always competitive series between the two
squads. The winning team's PR staff will proudly hold the sheet music to Gordon Lightfoot's The Wreck of the
Edmund Fitzgerald as a prise for their team's victory and will only be surrendered should they lose the next
game in the series. Bucks PR rep Mark Rosenberg currently holds the trophy to the 1976 ballad written by the
Orillia, ON, native that reached #2 on the US Billboard charts and #1 in Canada.
- A special salute to Raptors PR Director and Neenah, Wisconsin's favourite son, Jim LaBumbard. Jim is a
Motley Crue fan and considers the group's 1989 release Dr. Feelgood among his favourites as Kingston's own
Bryan Adams sings back-up on the album.
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