Heat-Bucks Preview

By JUSTIN EINHORN
Posted Jan 31 2012 4:09PM

The Miami Heat are the hottest team in the NBA, winning five straight and eight of nine. The lone defeat was a surprise, but another one to the Milwaukee Bucks might not be considered so shocking.

The Heat look to avenge their only loss of the past two weeks as they visit the improving Bucks on Wednesday night.

Since a three-game skid Jan. 10-13, Miami (16-5) has not been defeated other than a 91-82 home loss to Milwaukee on Jan. 22. The Bucks entered that game with a 5-9 record and only one road win, while Miami had been 11-4 with one home loss.

That victory is part of the current 5-2 stretch by the Bucks, with the only losses coming by a combined 12 points to two of the league's top teams - Atlanta and Chicago.

"We're just rolling right now," said Brandon Jennings, averaging 23.5 points in the past eight games. "We've just got to keep the team spirit and just keep everything positive. ... I think we should be above .500."

Milwaukee (9-11) is the only team to win two regular-season games against the Heat in the past 11 months. The Bucks won in Miami on April 6 before taking this season's only meeting, but Dwyane Wade didn't play either time.

Wade has played three games since being sidelined by a sprained ankle and keyed Monday's 109-95 win over New Orleans. He scored 15 of his 22 points in the second quarter, when Miami came from 12 down to take the lead for good.

"When a guy like D-Wade has a rhythm, you've got to keep feeding him," said LeBron James, who was two assists shy of a triple-double. "He brought us back."

This time, it's the Bucks who could be without one of their top players, though it would appear to be by choice. After Stephen Jackson missed Saturday's win over the Lakers due to a one-game league suspension, coach Scott Skiles opted to keep his second-leading scorer out of Monday's 103-82 victory over Detroit.

"I liked the way we've played the past couple games," Skiles explained. "He'll have an opportunity to work himself back in there."

Jackson's 3-pointers to end the third quarter and start the fourth put Milwaukee in control of the last matchup with Miami, which followed his one-game benching for sleeping through a shootaround.

The 12-year veteran was very understanding of this decision by Skiles.

"You know what? For the most part, Scott is right," he said. "We are playing well without me in the lineup but it's all good. It's all about winning."

The turnover battle could be key Wednesday. Miami forces 18.0 per game to lead the Eastern Conference, and Milwaukee ranks third at 16.7.

The Heat are 11-0 when committing 15 turnovers or fewer. They had 22 in the loss to Milwaukee and have averaged 12.9 in their last eight wins.

"I think we're doing a much better job of taking care of the basketball," said Chris Bosh, who has six turnovers in the past five games after giving it away eight times against Milwaukee.

While Miami has held the opposition under 100 points in nine consecutive games, the Bucks have scored at least 100 in four straight.

Milwaukee's Drew Gooden has averaged 20.7 points and 9.3 rebounds in three games since joining the starting lineup to replace Andrew Bogut, who is out eight to 12 weeks with a fractured ankle.

Bucks win 105-97, beat Heat again

By CHRIS JENKINS
Posted Feb 01 2012 11:59PM

MILWAUKEE (AP) The Miami Heat have the stars, the sun and South Beach.

Somehow, the Milwaukee Bucks have bragging rights.

Brandon Jennings scored 31 points, including three 3-pointers in a critical stretch of the fourth quarter, and Milwaukee beat Miami 105-97 on Wednesday night for the Bucks' second win over the Heat this season.

Even on a huge night for LeBron James - he scored a season-high 40 points, including a powerful windmill dunk destined for the highlight reels - Jennings and the Bucks walked away with a win.

And, apparently, a little bit of admiration from James.

"Me and LeBron looked at each other," Jennings said. "I said, `40?' He said, `You've got 31, though."'

Jennings also had eight assists with no turnovers while Drew Gooden added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Bucks, who have won three straight - including a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers last Saturday.

The Bucks also beat the Heat 91-82 in Miami on Jan. 22.

James had 24 points in the first quarter, the most points any player has scored in a quarter this season, according to STATS LLC. But he went cold in the second half.

"You always give credit where credit is due," James said. "They made some shots in the third quarter and fourth quarter. They got back into it. They made a run. We held it as much as possible."

Dwyane Wade added 23 points for the Heat, but it wasn't enough.

"What that second half showed is we still have a long way to go as a ballclub just in terms of playing consistently," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We were playing very good basketball in the first half. It's a fragile game. In this league it can go the other way quickly if you're not staying consistent to your identity."

Bucks fans chanted "overrated" in the final minutes of the game.

"We can't just have an ordinary energy game, we have to have an extraordinary game against them," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "The guys came out in the second half and really took it to them."

Milwaukee trailed 60-47 at the half but closed the gap in the third quarter. The Heat went into the fourth with a 79-76 lead.

Ersan Ilyasova converted a three-point play to tie the score at the start of the fourth, and Jennings hit a running layup to give the Bucks an 81-79 lead with 11:06 left.

Milwaukee's fourth-quarter run continued, and the Bucks led 87-82 when Luc Richard Mbah a Moute scored inside. The Heat than drew a shot-clock violation with the ball in James' hands, and Jennings hit a 3-pointer on the other end to give Milwaukee a 90-82 lead with 6:40 to go.

After a pair of free throws by Gooden, Wade missed a contested layup, and Jennings hit another 3-pointer.

James missed a long jumper - and Jennings drilled yet another 3, giving the Bucks a 98-82 lead.

With Milwaukee later leading 101-92, James was called for traveling in transition with just over two minutes left.

James shot 5 for 12 in the second half.

"He's not easy to stop," Jennings said. "He got it going early, but I think we did a great job (in the) second half, just countering him on everything."

A large part of the credit goes to Mbah a Moute, the Bucks' defensive ace.

"It's a tough job, going against those guys," Mbah a Moute said. "But it's a fun job, too. Those guys are the best and it's always fun to play against the best."

Wednesday's game had all the makings of a Heat blowout early on, thanks to James. Already off to a sizzling start, James finished the first quarter in memorable fashion.

"The first half, it felt like LeBron was going to go for like 60 or whatever," Jennings said.

With under a minute left in the quarter, he took the ball away from Milwaukee's Beno Udrih, took a couple of steps and finished with a powerful windmill dunk with 32.9 seconds left in the quarter.

As if that wasn't enough, James then hit a 3 with 2.2 seconds left in the quarter.

James' huge dunk drew a gasp, then a roar from the crowd. It even had a pair of Bradley Center ushers recreating the dunk during the first-quarter break.

But the Heat couldn't keep the lead.

"I don't think we relaxed," Wade said. "They played well. Give them credit. I'm not taking anything away from the Bucks."

Notes: According to STATS, James' 24 points matches his career high in a quarter, accomplished three previous times. ... Stephen Jackson returned for the Bucks, after serving a one-game NBA suspension in Milwaukee's victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, then being benched against Detroit on Monday. Jackson played nine-plus minutes and didn't score. ... The Bucks recalled rookie guard Darington Hobson from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA Development League.

Notebook: Bucks 105, Heat 97

By Rick Braun, for NBA.com
Posted Wednesday February 1, 2012 11:58PM

THE FACTS: Brandon Jennings scored 31 points, including consecutive 3-pointers to cap a 22-3 run to start the fourth quarter, as the Milwaukee Bucks overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Miami Heat 105-97 Wednesday night at the Bradley Center.

The Bucks (10-11) won for the sixth time in eight games and beat Miami for the second time in 10 days. Those two losses are the only ones in a 10-game span for the Heat, who fell to 16-6.

LeBron James led all scorers with 40 points for the Heat, 24 of them in the first quarter when the Heat built a 40-23 lead. Dwyane Wade added 23. But James and Wade seemed to go into one-on-one mode more in the second half, as Milwaukee held a 58-37 advantage after intermission.

QUOTABLE: "I think it's good for us when they try to go one-on-one. The other part of that, though, is that they're very, very good players and you can get exposed that way. But the good thing is when you're able to stop them it gets the other guys around them frustrated and it slows down their momentum."
-- Milwaukee's Luc Richard Mbah a Moute on the challenge of stopping James and Wade one-on-one

THE STAT: The game turned in the first 7 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter because the Heat, which shot 82.4 percent (14-for-17) in the first quarter and 60 percent (21-for-35) in the half, made just one of their first 12 shots while being outscored, 22-3. Wade went 0-for-4, James 0-for-2 and Chris Bosh 1-for-4 in that span.

TURNING POINT: The Bucks already had shaved an 18-point first-half lead down to 79-76 after three when they exploded out of the fourth-quarter gate with a 22-3 blitz over the first 7:35. Jennings capped the flurry with consecutive 3-pointers to make it 98-82 with 4:25 left.

QUOTABLE II: "You always have to find a balance with that. We're trying to find a balance where we can take advantage of our guys' strengths of ability to attack and ability to break down the defense. At the same time, we have to do it collectively, and the ball has to move."
-- Miami coach Erik Spoelstra, when asked if there was too much one-on-one play by his team in the fourth quarter

HOT: Known as a great defensive player -- and he did some great work on that end of the floor -- Milwaukee Mbah a Moute was 6-for-7 on the offensive end to finish with 13 points.

NOT: Miami's four reserves that played -- Udonis Haslem, Shane Battier, Norris Cole and Mike Miller -- combined to go 2-for-11 for just seven points.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: James' 40-point night also included eight rebounds and five assists.

GOOD MOVE: Although his team was whipped in every category in the first half, Bucks coach Scott Skiles' intermission speech pointed out that they were only down 13 (60-47). Skiles stressed playing with energy, and his team responded with probably its best half of the season.

ROOKIE WATCH: Bucks second-round pick Jon Leuer only played 1:33 but went 1-for-1 and had an assist in the first half.

NOTABLE: After not playing in the previous two games -- one because of a suspension and one because of coach's decision -- Stephen Jackson reported into the game in the first quarter when Carlos Delfino picked up his second foul. ... The Heat began a span of eight games of their next 10 on the road. During that span, Miami will return to the Bradley Center on Feb. 13. ... Although he had just a 9-for-24 shooting night, Jennings made seven of 14 3-pointers.

UP NEXT: For the Heat, Friday @ Philadelphia, Sunday vs. Toronto, Tuesday vs. Cleveland. For the Bucks, Friday @ Detroit, Saturday vs. Chicago, Tuesday vs. Phoenix.

• Heat: Gladness, Harris
• Bucks: Bogut, Hobson

• Heat: --
• Bucks: --

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
• Officials: #32 Eddie F. Rush, #40 Leon Wood, #74 Curtis Blair
• Attendance: 16116
• Duration: 2:13