Nuggets-Bucks Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Jan 17 2012 10:40AM

For as poorly as the Milwaukee Bucks have played on the road, they've looked pretty good at home.

The Bucks try to start 5-0 on their own court for the second time in five seasons when they meet the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night.

This contest is the first of just two at home Milwaukee will play during a stretch of eight games. The Bucks likely can't wait to return to the Bradley Center after losing 94-82 to Philadelphia on Monday to fall to 0-8 on the road.

Milwaukee is averaging 102.0 points on 48.5 percent shooting while going 4-0 at home compared to 86.4 points while making 40.6 percent of its shots on the road. One of those defeats came to Denver on Jan. 2, 91-86 to open a five-game western trip.

The Bucks (4-8) had trouble shooting from 3-point range at Philadelphia, going 3 of 14 while the 76ers were 11 of 23.

"It's not hard finding a guy to play well," coach Scott Skiles said. "We've got to find multiple guys to play well."

The Bucks likely need Andrew Bogut to remain on the court for them to succeed no matter where they play. The 7-footer, who missed the final four contests of the five-game trip while attending to personal matters in his native Australia, had 20 points and 11 rebounds Monday after missing Friday's 102-76 loss at Dallas with a concussion.

He had 12 points with seven rebounds at Denver two weeks ago.

Teammate Brandon Jennings averages 22.0 points and shoots 54.4 percent at home, but he's scoring 15.6 on just 38.5 percent shooting on the road.

Milwaukee had won three in a row at home over the Nuggets before losing 94-87 on Feb. 16. The Bucks, whose most significant victory at the Bradley Center came by three over San Antonio last Tuesday, have not won their first five home games since 2007-08.

Looking for a fourth consecutive victory overall against the Bucks, the Nuggets (8-5) try to bounce back from a 106-96 home loss to Utah on Sunday.

Denver shot 42.7 percent after making 50.7 percent of its shots while winning six of the previous eight games. That included a 117-104 home victory over Miami on Friday.

"We thought we were cool after kicking Miami's butt and we got embarrassed," coach George Karl said. "The NBA game does that quite frequently. If you think you're better than you are or you think you're cooler than you are and you don't think you've got to put in the hard work to win games, you get embarrassed - and we got embarrassed."

Danilo Gallinari and Nene each had 18 points as the Nuggets allowed the Jazz to shoot 51.8 percent.

"Intensity and effort, it falls on all of us," guard Arron Afflalo told the Nuggets' official website. "We've got to do a better job of picking up the energy level, picking up the effort level."

Gallinari, who is averaging 20.5 points and is 15 of 32 from 3-point range over the last six games, had 21 points with 10 rebounds against the Bucks earlier this month.

Brewer and Nuggets defeat Bucks 105-95

Posted Jan 18 2012 1:23AM

MILWAUKEE (AP) Corey Brewer and the Denver Nuggets turned on their high-scoring offense and left the Milwaukee Bucks behind.

Brewer came off the bench and scored a season-high 22 points as the Nuggets started their five-game road trip with 105-95 victory Tuesday night.

The Nuggets came in averaging 104.1 points per game and have scored 100 plus points in eight of the last 14 games. Miami leads the NBA in scoring at 106.2 points a game.

With guard Rudy Fernandez out with a right Achilles tendon strain, coach George Karl turned to Brewer for a spark and wasn't disappointed.

Brewer, playing a season-high 34:19 minutes, was 8 of 14 from the floor and made 3 of 6 from behind the arc.

"Corey is playing well enough to the point where we are going to have find minutes for him," Karl said. "I think he brings energy to our team. Usually energy and aggressiveness are positive personalities of a successful team."

Denver went on a 19-4 run midway through the second quarter and opened up a 19-point lead. Six fast-break points sparked the surge and the Nuggets finished with 17 in the first half.

Brewer hit a 3 and made a fast-break layup to add to the surge.

"Personally when I come into the game, I just try to pick up the pace," he said. "Try to bring some energy. Try to get everybody going up and down because when we are playing fast, we are at our best."

The Bucks were neither playing fast nor at their best.

Brandon Jennings did his part in the fourth quarter, but it just wasn't enough.

He scored 12 of his 30 points in the fourth and first-round pick Tobias Harris added for 14 for the Bucks, who lost for the first time in five home games.

Milwaukee last opened a season with five straight home wins in the 2007-08 season.

Jennings' driving layup got Milwaukee to 100-91 with 2:47 left, but Danilo Gallinari made two free throws and a 3 that stopped the Bucks from creeping any closer.

Al Harrington added 16 points, Gallinari and Nene each had 14, Arron Afflalo and Ty Lawson had 11 apiece.

The Nuggets easily capitalized on a poor performance from the Bucks' starting frontcourt and swept the two-game series this season.

Denver beat Milwaukee 91-86 on January 2.

Stephen Jackson scored two points, Andrew Bogut had two and two rebounds and Jon Leuer added 11 and one board for Milwaukee.

"I don't think it was much offensively as it was just what they were able to do on us defensively," Leuer said. "They got those easy buckets in the first half. We kind of cut it down in the second half."

Afflalo said the Nuggets' defense played a big part in the victory.

"Our mental approach to the game was much, much better to start the game, especially on the defensive end," he said. "I thought defensively for the most part we had our focus tonight."

This one wasn't even close despite Jennings' effort. Ersan Ilyasova grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds for Milwaukee which failed to rebound after losing 94-82 to Philadelphia on Monday, their eighth straight loss on the road.

Leading 63-44, the Nuggets protected their double-digit margin throughout the third quarter. The Bucks chipped away and pulled to 74-60, but two 3s by Harrington and one from Brewer kept the Nuggets in charge.

Brewer came off the bench late in the first quarter, but did all his damage in the second when he scored 12 of his 14 points as the Nuggets finally revved up their offense.

Andre Miller started a 26-13 surge with a jumper followed by 3-pointers from Harrington, Brewer and Gallinari. Then Denver came inside and attacked the basket. Brewer had one of three layups, and Lawson and Nene added two free throws apiece. Lawson's layup ended the run and gave the Nuggets a 63-44 lead at the half.

Bogut picked his third foul with 2:21 left in the second and played only 19:04 minutes. He along with Jackson sat out the fourth quarter.

Neither team shot well in the first quarter. Denver made 8 of 15 (53.3 percent) while Milwaukee was 7 of 20 (35 percent), making just three shots during a three-minute stretch.

Notes: Nuggets G Fernandez was inactive against the Bucks, but will be a game-time decision against Philadelphia. He left the Sunday's game against Utah in the second quarter with the injured right Achilles tendon. ... Bucks F Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who missed the last five and 10 of the last 12 games with right knee tendinitis, was available.

Notebook: Nuggets 105, Bucks 95

By Rick Braun, for NBA.com
Posted Tuesday January 17, 2012 11:48PM

THE FACTS: Corey Brewer scored 22 points off the bench, and Al Harrington added 16 from the bench, including four 3-pointers, to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 105-95 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.

QUOTABLE: "We wanted to stay body-to-body. On the first play I was ready to commit suicide because the whole game-plan was to not let him have easy baskets and to make him shoot over us as much as possible and plug him from the guards and perimeter guys and collapse on his dribble as much as possible."
-- Nuggets coach George Karl on his team holding Bucks center Andrew Bogut scoreless after the first basket of the game

THE STAT: The Nuggets were 12-for-25 on 3-pointers, with Harrington going 4-for-6, guard Arron Afflalo 3-for-4 and Brewer 3-for-6. The Bucks, meanwhile, were just 7-for-23 after going 20-for-36 in their previous two home games.

TURNING POINT: The Nuggets went on a 19-4 run midway through the second quarter, turning a 37-33 lead into a 56-37 lead. The Bucks would get no closer than nine the rest of the way.

QUOTABLE II: "We're not close to really understanding how hard we need to play and how hard we have to compete and pay attention to detail."
-- Bucks coach Scott Skiles, whose team fell to 4-9 with its first home loss and third straight overall

HOT: Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings finished with a game-high 30 points on 13-for-22 shooting, but he was the only truly effective player for the Bucks, who finished 38-for-91 (41.8 percent).

NOT: Bucks swingman Carlos Delfino made just three of 12 shots and is 12-for-40 (30 percnet) in his last four games.

ROOKIE WATCH: Bucks forward Tobias Harris, the 19th overall pick, played 27 minutes and finished with 14 points and eight rebounds. The rebound total doubled his previous high.

NOTABLE: Bucks swingman Mike Dunleavy was declared out for 2-4 weeks a week ago because of groin pain. Dunleavy worked out hard on the court before the game and said he felt as though he would be closer to the two weeks out rather than the four weeks. Dunleavy has missed the last 10 games. ... Officials used replay and reversed a first-quarter call, taking a basket away from the Bucks. Jon Leuer's jump shot with 5:32 was ruled to have beaten the shot clock, but during a timeout with 2:57 left in the quarter they reviewed the video and ruled the shot came after the shot clock had expired. Instead of a 15-12 lead, the Nuggets led 15-10. ... Bucks forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute was cleared to play after missing 10 of the first 12 games with right knee tendinitis, but Skiles opted not to play him. ... The game was the opener of a five-game road trip for the Nuggets.

UP NEXT: For the Nuggets, Wednesday @ Philadelphia, Friday @ Washington, Saturday @ New York. For the Bucks, Friday @ New York, Sunday @ Miami, Monday vs. Atlanta.

• Nuggets: Carroll, Fernandez
• Bucks: Dunleavy, Hobson

• Nuggets: --
• Bucks: --

• Lead Changes: 1
• Times Tied: 2

• Arena: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
• Officials: #19 James Capers, #18 Matt Boland, #44 Eli Roe
• Attendance: 11322
• Duration: 2:04