Magic-Bucks Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
Posted Feb 11 2012 12:43AM

Dwight Howard is the Orlando Magic's lone All-Star this season, and the Milwaukee Bucks know all about the center's exploits.

Orlando is hoping they can begin capitalizing on his production again.

Howard looks to help the Magic rebound from another overtime defeat Saturday night when they try to continue their success against the Bucks.

Howard is averaging 20.9 points and an NBA-leading 15.4 rebounds, so it's not surprising that he'll represent the Magic (16-11) when they host the All-Star game later this month.

Orlando, though, hasn't been able to capitalize on his strong play recently, losing twice on a three-game homestand with both defeats coming in overtime.

Howard is averaging 25.3 points and 18.7 boards in that stretch, including 18 and 18, respectively, in Friday's 89-87 overtime defeat to Atlanta.

"We just didn't play very well, that's the bottom line," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "We didn't play very well, but we stuck in there ... We just didn't get it done in the end."

Howard's presence in the paint has made a dramatic difference for the Magic when they face the Bucks (12-14).

The Magic have won 10 of the last 12 meetings with Milwaukee, and Howard is averaging 23.6 points and 13.6 rebounds in those victories. He was out for the two defeats due to an injury and an illness.

Howard continued that dominant trend last season with 25.7 points and 17.0 rebounds during a three-game winning streak after Orlando lost the first matchup without him.

The Bucks are on the brink of tying their season-high three-game winning streak, but could use another strong performance from Brandon Jennings.

The point guard had 24 points and eight assists in a 113-112 overtime win at Cleveland on Friday, a night after he was miffed about not being named a reserve for the All-Star game.

Jennings is trying to temper the firestorm created when he stated that he's already "doing my homework" on big-market teams in an interview with ESPN.com. He's under contract through next season.

"It kind of got blown out of proportion a little bit. I never said I was leaving. I'm not looking to be in any big market or anything like that. I'm keeping my options open. After being in this a couple years, I understand the business of basketball.

"I'm still going to be here playing hard every night and my focus is to get into the playoffs."

Jennings was criticized for not doing that in Milwaukee's last home game Tuesday, scoring a season-low three points and only putting up four shots in 28-plus minutes in a 107-105 loss to Phoenix.

"I just got in and talked to him," coach Scott Skiles said after the loss. "He looked a bit disconnected. I'm not sure why."

That certainly wasn't the case in the Magic's last visit on March 16, when Jennings scored 23 points and handed out eight assists in a 93-89 overtime loss.

Drew Gooden is providing Jennings with some offensive help, averaging 22.0 points over the last four games - nearly 10 higher than his season production.

The forward-center averages 15.5 points in 17 career meetings with the Magic, scoring 18 in a 78-72 loss at Orlando on April 5.

The Bucks and Magic will face each other four times over the next three weeks.

Richardson hits nine 3s, Magic top Bucks 99-94

Posted Feb 12 2012 1:09AM

MILWAUKEE (AP) Jason Richardson took offense at a fan's trash talk, and the Milwaukee Bucks suffered for those scathing words.

Richardson scored 28 of his season-high 31 points in the second half and made nine 3-pointers to lead the Orlando Magic to a 99-94 victory over the Bucks on Saturday night.

A brash spectator behind Orlando's bench shouted, "You're washed up!" at Richardson during the first quarter. He went 0 for 3 and played the fewest minutes of the rest of the starters.

"I'm a competitor," the 31-year-old Richardson said. "I love when people talk trash to me."

But this fan's taunt rubbed Richardson the wrong way.

"When you go past the line where I thought the guy did," he said, "I had to show the guy I wasn't."

Richardson carried the criticism into the locker room at halftime and mulled it over.

"I thought about what he said," Richardson said. "I said, `You know what? Just go out there and just play. I got in a zone. The shots started falling. I don't mind trash talking, but that was the one that got to me."

Richardson had 16 of his 19 points up to that point, including four 3s, in the third quarter to keep Orlando in the game.

It was the fourth quarter that he really shredded the defense.

Richardson unleashed a barrage of four 3-pointers that helped Orlando erase a 10-point deficit and pull ahead. His ninth 3, and eighth out of nine attempts in the second half, gave Orlando a 94-88 lead with 2:07 to go.

The Bucks never got closer than three the rest of the way.

"We had a nice 10-point lead and we just kind of lost it a little bit," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "We lost Richardson and he hurt us, killed us."

Richardson finished 9 for 11 from 3-point range. He tied Nicolas Batum of the Portland Trail Blazers for the most made 3s in the NBA this season. Batum did it against the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 4.

"People think that once you turn a certain age, you don't have it anymore. You don't have the certain style of play you used to play," Richardson said. "I'm still young, so I had to show the guy I still had energy."

Dwight Howard was held below his average in points and rebounds, but Richardson made up for it.

"Offensively, he really was the only one who had it going in the second half, which was good," Howard said. "That was amazing. He's amazing."

Richardson jumper with 18.7 seconds left pulled the Magic within six at 49-43 at halftime. Milwaukee shot 40.8 percent to Orlando's 39.4 percent. JJ Redick came off the bench to spark the Magic's offense with 12 points. Reserve Mike Dunleavy had 12 points for the Bucks, whose lead was never more than nine.

Drew Gooden and the Bucks limited Howard to 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Howard finished 5 of 15 from the floor. He came in averaging 20.9 points and an NBA-leading 15.4 rebounds, but was stymied by Gooden's defense.

"I don't think he took me out of my game," Howard said of Gooden's defense on him. "I missed a lot of shots that I normally don't miss. They weren't doing anything special."

Gooden scored 21 points and Ersan Ilyasova added 17 for the Bucks.

Beno Udrih came off the bench and had six points during a 13-0 run midway through the fourth quarter for Milwaukee. Gooden added two open jumpers, including one that went not only way above Howard, but also the shot clock on the backboard, before swishing through the net.

Udrih's 14-foot jumper gave Milwaukee its biggest lead at 88-78 with 5:45 left. But that was it for Milwaukee.

Hedo Turkoglu had 19 points for Orlando, which beat the Bucks for the 11th time in 13 games.

Brandon Jennings, had 24 points and eight assists in the Bucks' 113-112 overtime win at Cleveland on Friday, a night after not being named a reserve for the All-Star game. He finished with seven points, five assists and five rebounds against the Magic.

The hometown crowd roared when Jennings' name was announced in the starting lineup. Bucks fans seemed willing, at least for now, to not be bothered by his comments that he's "doing my homework" on big-market teams - saying that during an interview with ESPN.com on Thursday. He's under contract through next season.

The Bucks tried to limit Howard's effectiveness with a help-out defense and strong rebounding.

Gooden guarded Howard with support. Whenever Orlando's All-Star center backed Gooden down in the paint, another Bucks player would swipe and poke at the ball. Howard had two turnovers, five points and five rebounds.

The Bucks grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and 16 defensive, while the Magic had 17, including 15 defensive boards.

Notes: After Saturday night's game, the Bucks and Magic play three more times in their next 10 games. ... Bucks G Shaun Livingston has attempted just two 3-pointers so far this season. He sank his first one - and eighth of his career - in the first quarter.

Notebook: Magic 99, Bucks 94

Posted Sunday February 12, 2012 12:44AM

By Rick Braun, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Jason Richardson took a fan's criticism and whipped the Milwaukee Bucks with his response. After a fan near the bench told him he was washed up during the first quarter, Richardson scored 28 of his 31 points in the second half, including 8-of-9 shooting on 3-pointers, to lead the Orlando Magic to a 99-94 victory Saturday night at the Bradley Center.

Richardson, who turned 31 on Jan. 20, drained four 3-pointers in a 16-0 fourth-quarter run that erased an 88-78 deficit. He finished 9 of 11 from behind the arc.

Hedo Turkoglu added 19 points, including three 3-pointers, as the Magic (17-11) made 15 bonus buckets to offset a 5-for-15 night by star center Dwight Howard.

Drew Gooden scored 21 points and Ersan Ilyasova had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Bucks (12-15), who came home from two road victories to lose their third straight home game.

QUOTABLE: "I'm a competitor and I love when people talk trash to me. That's just part of the game. But when you go past the line, like I thought the guy did, I had to show him I wasn't. He said that in the first quarter, so I was thinking about that since then. I made one shot in the first quarter and I came in here (the locker room at halftime) and thought about what he said. I thought we were playing with no energy. I said, 'Just go out there and play.' I got into the zone and shots were falling."
-- Richardson, on a fan's comment that he was washed up as his second-half motivation.

THE STAT: After going 1 for 4 in the first half, Richardson went 10 for 14 in the second half and scored 28 of the Magic's 58 second-half points.

TURNING POINT: The Bucks had just used a 13-0 run to take an 88-78 lead when Richardson got open for a 3-pointer. A short banker by Jameer Nelson and another 3-pointer by Richardson, and the Magic was halfway into a 16-0 run that changed the game.

QUOTABLE II: "At the end he was just knocking down shots. But as almost always happens when guys go on those runs, he got a couple open ones that get them going. And then you're just feeling it."
-- Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy on the fact that Richardson was making 3-pointers with a hand in his face in the fourth quarter.

HOT: Aside from Richardson, who was beyond hot, Ilyasova made 7 of 10, including his only 3-pointer.

NOT: Bucks guard Brandon Jennings went 3 for 14 and 0 for 5 on 3-pointers. Jennings is now 26 for 82 (31.7 percent) in his last six games.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: While Howard struggled from the field for his 11 points, he had 14 rebounds and four blocked shots.

INSIDE THE ARENA: University of Wisconsin basketball coach Bo Ryan was in attendance and visited the Magic locker room afterward. Magic head coach Van Gundy was once the head coach at Wisconsin, and Magic guard Nelson played at Ryan's alma mater Chester High School in Chester, Penn.

GOOD MOVE: Van Gundy sent Richardson back into the game with 6:28 left in the fourth quarter.

BAD MOVE: The last 10 points of Milwaukee's 13-0 run to take an 88-78 lead came off pick-and-roll plays with backup point guard Beno Udrih and center Gooden. But Udrih went to the bench in favor of Jennings with 3:46 left, and the Bucks offense made just two field goals the rest of the way.

NOTABLE: Bucks forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute missed a dunk in the first quarter, but the ball bounced to the right sideline, where Jennings retrieved it and passed to Shaun Livingston for a 3-pointer -- Livingston's first of the season and just his second attempt. After starting the season 4-0 at home the Bucks have gone just 3-5 in the Bradley Center. ... Richardson's nine 3-pointers tied Portland's Nicolas Batum for most in a game this season. ... Howard was shut out until a dunk with 4:43 left in the first half. ... Gooden is averaging 21.8 points over his last four games.

UP NEXT: For the Magic, Monday vs. Minnesota, Wednesday vs. Philadelphia, Friday vs. Milwaukee. For the Bucks, Monday vs. Miami, Wednesday vs. New Orleans, Friday @ Orlando.

• Magic: Liggins, Orton
• Bucks: Bogut

• Magic: --
• Bucks: --

• Lead Changes: 6
• Times Tied: 7

• Arena: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
• Officials: #25 Tony Brothers, #71 Rodney Mott, #72 JT Orr
• Attendance: 17723
• Duration: 2:04