Bucks-Pistons Preview

By KATE HEDLIN
Posted Feb 02 2012 2:25PM

The Milwaukee Bucks just rallied from an 18-point deficit for an impressive victory to cap a perfect homestand.

They had far less trouble beating the Detroit Pistons earlier this week.

The Bucks will go for their second win over the lowly Pistons in five days as they visit The Palace of Auburn Hills on Friday night.

Milwaukee (10-11) picked up two big wins during its 3-0 homestand, opening with a 100-89 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday and closing it by defeating Miami 105-97 on Wednesday.

It was the Bucks' second win over the Heat this season. After giving up 40 points in the first quarter to fall behind by 17, they held Miami to 37 in the second half.

"Much like the Laker game, this is a great win. Our guys played great and we deserved to win," coach Scott Skiles said. "But then, we've got to go to Detroit and win a game to make this a really good win."

Milwaukee has won six of eight and now seeks its first four-game winning streak since the 2009-10 season.

Brandon Jennings had another outstanding night Wednesday, finishing with 31 points, eight assists, seven 3-pointers and no turnovers. He is averaging 24.3 points in the last nine games.

"Brandon was great," Skiles said. "I know he'll look at the stat sheet and wish he shot a better percentage (9 for 25), but when we needed big shots, he's able to knock them down."

Jennings has shot much better in two wins over Detroit this season, hitting 56.7 percent from the field while averaging 24.0 points. He's made 7 of 12 from 3-point range in those games, including four Monday in a 103-82 victory over the Pistons.

The Bucks went 10 of 17 from beyond the arc in that win and never trailed. Detroit got no closer than 15 points in the fourth quarter of that game, and never led in the second half of a 102-93 defeat at Milwaukee on Jan. 12.

While the Bucks have won three of four road games after losing their first eight, Detroit (4-20) has dropped seven straight overall after an 0-4 road trip.

The Pistons fell 99-96 to New Jersey on Wednesday after a late rally fell short, with Brandon Knight missing a 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds remaining. Detroit lost its previous three games by an average of 23.0 points.

"To be able to have a chance, it felt good," said Tayshaun Prince, who had 21 points. "It has been a while."

Detroit is looking for a better defensive effort, giving up an average of 102.4 points during its losing streak while allowing opponents to shoot 48.3 percent from 3-point range.

"We have to install defensive intensity. (It is the) only way we have a chance of winning," coach Lawrence Frank said. "(We) want to establish a defense-first mentality."

Frank's team could face problems in the paint against a Bucks team getting good play inside despite the absence of center Andrew Bogut, out eight to 12 weeks with a fractured ankle.

Drew Gooden has started the last four games in Bogut's place, averaging 19.8 points and 9.3 rebounds. Ersan Ilyasova continues to play valuable minutes off the bench, averaging 10.3 points and 9.6 boards over the last seven games.

Jennings, meanwhile, might be matched up with Knight, third among rookies with 12.3 points per game. Knight scored 15 on Wednesday after totaling 18 in the previous three games, including a scoreless performance against the Bucks.

Knight leads Pistons to 88-80 win over Bucks

By NOAH TRISTER
Posted Feb 03 2012 11:33PM

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) Brandon Knight learned a harsh lesson earlier in the week when he was shut out in a game at Milwaukee.

"I just remember not coming with a lot of energy, not lifting my teammates up," Knight said. "Me, as a rookie, that's something I've got to be able to do each and every game, no matter who we're playing against."

In a rematch with the Bucks on Friday night, Knight was at his best, scoring a season-high 26 points and helping the Detroit Pistons snap a seven-game losing streak with an 88-80 victory. Knight was outscored 21-0 by Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings in a loss to the Bucks on Monday night, but he looked impressive while turning the tables four days later.

The Bucks had won three straight, including a come-from-behind victory over Miami on Wednesday, but they trailed by as many as 15 points in the third quarter against the Pistons.

"We were terrible in every aspect of the game. Our effort was horrible - as bad as I've seen since I've been here - and our execution was very poor on both ends of the floor," Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles said. "We've played two good quarters out of the last eight. The other six have been pitiful."

Milwaukee went on an 11-0 run spanning the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth, and Detroit led by only four with 2:54 remaining. Knight responded with a floater, followed moments later by a driving shot off the glass, and the Pistons held on.

Knight went 10 of 23 from the field and also had seven assists and no turnovers. Jennings, the opposing point guard, scored 20 points, but only seven after the first quarter.

"I thought Brandon really responded," Detroit coach Lawrence Frank said. "When you hold a team to 80 points defensively, everyone who is on the floor contributes to that, and that deserves more credit than anything else."

Greg Monroe added 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Tayshaun Prince had 13 points for the Pistons. Shaun Livingston was the only other Milwaukee player in double figures with 14 points.

The Pistons led by as many as nine in the first quarter, but Jennings made all five of his shots in the period and it was 26-all after one.

Jennings finished 7 of 19, and the Bucks shot only 35 percent as a team. Milwaukee trailed 51-41 at halftime and never seemed to click offensively after scoring at least 100 points in each of its previous five games.

With Detroit up 58-52, Jennings tried a behind-the-back pass on a 2-on-1 break to Beno Udrih. The play resulted in a turnover, and the Pistons slowly increased their lead.

Knight made a nice bounce pass in transition to Rodney Stuckey for a layup and a 64-53 advantage. Jonas Jerebko made it 70-55 with a dunk.

Milwaukee trailed 72-68 in the fourth, but Monroe scored inside to halt the Bucks' run. That wasn't the last time the Bucks cut the deficit to four. It was 80-76 and 82-78 late in the fourth, but Knight answered both times with a basket.

"He was great tonight," Jennings said. "He was aggressive on offense and he was going for steals on defense. He's a good young player."

In their previous five games, the Pistons had allowed opponents to shoot 46 of 89 from 3-point range. Milwaukee was only 3 of 17 on Friday - after making 10 in each of its previous two games.

The Bucks also had only 10 assists - after six straight games with at least 20.

NOTES: Detroit is still without G Ben Gordon (shoulder) and F Charlie Villanueva. The team released an update on Villanueva's troublesome right ankle, saying he has a "resolving posterior tibial tenosynovitis with small talotibal spurs." He's expected to need a few weeks of partial immobilization. ... With Vanilla Ice performing at halftime at The Palace, the game drew 13,181.

Notebook: Pistons 88, Bucks 80

By Dana Gauruder, for NBA.com
Posted Friday February 3, 2012 11:14PM

THE FACTS: Rookie guard Brandon Knight scored a career-high 26 points as the Detroit Pistons snapped a seven-game losing streak with an 88-80 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks Friday night. Knight, held scoreless at Milwaukee Monday, added seven assists while center Greg Monroe had 18 points and 11 rebounds for Detroit. Brandon Jennings led the Bucks, whose three-game winning streak was snapped, with 20 points.

QUOTABLE: "The last time we played the Bucks, I just remember not coming out with a lot of energy, not lifting my teammates up. Me as a rookie, coming out with energy is something I've got to do each and every game, no matter who we're playing against."
-- Pistons guard Knight on his big offensive performance.

THE STAT: 3-17. During the Pistons' losing streak, they allowed opponents to shoot 48.3 percent on 3-point attempts, including Milwaukee's 10 of 17 success rate from long range on Monday. Detroit's defense finally clamped down on the perimeter, as the Bucks shot 3 of 17 (17.6 percent) on 3-point tries. Jennings was 3 of 10 and his teammates were a combined 0 of 7.

TURNING POINT: Milwaukee trailed by 15 late in the third quarter, then went on an 11-0 run to climb back into the game. But the Pistons' frontcourt duo of Monroe and Jason Maxiell came to the rescue by sparking an 8-1 spurt for an 80-69 lead. Monroe ended Detroit's drought by shaking off a double team and making a hook shot. Maxiell then made a rare 20-foot shot and took a charge against Larry Sanders before Monroe drove past Drew Gooden for a layup.

QUOTABLE II: "We were terrible in every aspect of the game. There's no reason to sugarcoat. Our effort was awful, a total lack of focus and concentration."
-- Bucks coach Scott Skiles.

HOT: Monroe notched his sixth double-double in the last seven games and was just as important defensively, holding Gooden to four points and four rebounds. Gooden had averaged 19.8 points and 9.3 rebounds the previous four games. Monroe is averaging 22.0 points and 12.3 rebounds in three games against the Bucks this season.

NOT: Jennings may have led his team in scoring but he was far from the player who lit up Miami for 31 points two nights earlier. Jennings was held to 7 of 19 shooting by Knight and Walker Russell Jr. and made just one assist, compared to three turnovers. The rest of the Bucks followed his cue, as they had just 10 assists while shooting 35.1 percent.

GOOD MOVE: Pistons head coach Lawrence Frank stuck with four of his starters for 37 minutes or more, even though the team is playing five games in six nights. The Pistons needed to stick with their best players to get a much-needed victory and they managed to fight through the fatigue.

BAD MOVE: Skiles kept veteran guard Stephen Jackson glued to the bench, even when the Bucks could have used an offensive jolt. Jackson has not played in three of the last four games, one because of an NBA suspension and the other two because Skiles opted not to use him.

NOTABLE: Maxiell had eight points, a season-high 12 rebounds and two blocks while making his second start this season. ... The Bucks had scored at least 100 points in the previous five games. ... Forward Tayshaun Prince chipped in 13 points and nine rebounds for Detroit. ... Rapper Vanilla Ice performed at halftime during a '90s theme celebration.

UP NEXT: For the Bucks, Saturday vs. Chicago, Tuesday vs. Phoenix, Wednesday @ Toronto. For the Pistons, Saturday vs. New Orleans, Wednesday @ New Jersey, Friday vs. New Jersey.

• Bucks: Bogut
• Pistons: Villanueva

• Bucks: --
• Pistons: --

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI
• Officials: #38 Michael Smith, #18 Matt Boland, #79 Kevin Scott
• Attendance: 13181
• Duration: 2:12