Bucks-Hornets Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Dec 02 2012 5:35PM

With Larry Sanders content to provide a spark off the bench, the Milwaukee Bucks got back into the win column.

Sanders will try to help the Bucks again as they seek back-to-back victories for the first time in two-plus weeks and attempt to end a lengthy road losing streak to the struggling New Orleans Hornets on Monday night.

After dropping five of six, Milwaukee (8-7) fell behind 17-0 early to Boston on Saturday before pulling out a 91-88 victory. Sanders provided a career-high 18 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks after turning down the opportunity for his first NBA start since March 16, 2011.

"I embrace that role, coming off the bench and trying to provide energy, whether we are down or whether we are up. That's where I plan on staying," Sanders said.

That performance came one day after he recorded first career triple-double and matched Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's franchise record with 10 blocks.

"Larry Sanders is on his way to being player of the week if he keeps this up. I'm really excited for him," guard Brandon Jennings said.

To cap their most recent win streak, the Bucks defeated their next opponent 117-113 on Nov. 17. Monta Ellis scored six of his 22 points in the final two minutes of that third consecutive victory and Jennings also had 22 as Milwaukee snapped a three-game skid to the Hornets (4-11).

The Bucks will now try to end a 10-game losing streak in New Orleans, where they did not play last season due to the lockout.

Like the Bucks, the Hornets have struggled since a solid start, losing four in a row at home and nine of 10 overall. With its 100-79 defeat to Oklahoma City on Saturday, New Orleans allowed an opponent to reach the century mark for the eighth time in the past nine games.

"A lot of this falls on my shoulders," coach Monty Williams said. "You have to get guys ready to play. You have to help them believe. You have to be the performance enhancer, and that's my job.

"You can't always blame the players. Some of our guys are trying their best. I have to put them in position to succeed."

The Hornets have allowed an average of 105.1 points over that stretch, and the absence of No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis hasn't helped. The forward, who was averaging 16.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks, has missed the past seven games because of an injured left ankle and his timetable for returning is unknown.

"I air on the side of caution, especially when the guy really wants to play," Williams said before Saturday's game. "I have to be his brains."

Davis had a season-high 28 points and 11 rebounds in his most recent game, the loss to the Bucks, while Sanders totaled four points, six rebounds and three blocks for Milwaukee.

The Bucks earned their most recent road win over the Hornets on Jan. 27, 2003.

Hornets break out of slump, rout Bucks 102-81

By BRETT MARTEL
Posted Dec 03 2012 11:57PM

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Ryan Anderson and Robin Lopez had spoken recently about the need to justify their new leadership roles with the young New Orleans Hornets by exerting the kind of feisty effort that would energize their slumping squad.

That talk became reality on Monday night.

Anderson scored 22 points, Lopez tied a season high with 21 and New Orleans won for only the second time in 11 games, 102-81 over the Milwaukee Bucks.

"We needed an effort game and we needed to prove to ourselves that when we play like that we can beat a team by a big margin," said Anderson, who like Lopez was a young role player on his former team before coming to New Orleans last summer in a trade. "We needed a win like that at home, too. That was a big win in a lot of ways. It sparks our confidence."

Lopez shot 8 of 10 from the field and made all five free throws he attempted. He also scored 11 straight points during a pivotal 13-0 run in the third quarter that gave New Orleans the lead for good.

"It's something we definitely talked about, being aggressive, but talk is cheap and what really counts is we went out there and did it," Lopez said.

Jason Smith added 12 points and Greivis Vasquez had 11 for the Hornets, who shot 52.4 percent (43 of 82) from the field.

Brandon Jennings hit five 3-pointers and finished with 25 points. Monta Ellis added 17 for Milwaukee, which shot 38.2 percent (29 of 76).

Milwaukee's Larry Sanders blocked seven shots and the Bucks outrebounded the Hornets 40-37. But that was not nearly enough to keep pace with a New Orleans squad that broke loose for one of its best performances of the season, despite being without top overall draft pick Anthony Davis (left ankle), who missed his eighth straight game.

"We just could not stop them," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "We thought at some point someone would stop someone, but we just couldn't get a stop and build some momentum."

The Bucks had 19 offensive rebounds, but because of poor shooting, they finished with fewer second-chance points (20) than the Hornets (23). New Orleans also outscored Milwaukee in the paint, 48-34.

"When we're really moving the ball around, we're really hard to guard. When we start dribbling too much, we get in trouble," Skiles said. "It seemed like we dribbled into crowds tonight and had trouble getting out of crowds, turned it over, they went down and made shots."

Indeed, the Hornets converted 16 Bucks turnovers into 27 points.

"When we defend like that, it gives us a chance to shoot easy buckets and that is how you get close to 50 percent (shooting)," Hornets coach Monty Williams said. "You can play against anybody if you play hard and defend. We were fortunate enough to get that tonight."

Milwaukee had a 60-58 lead when Lopez began to take over. He hit a jumper at the shot-clock buzzer that was later disallowed, but it nonetheless seemed to get him in rhythm.

Soon after, Al-Farouq Aminu converted a fast-break dunk that did count, igniting a 13-0 in which Lopez scored the final 11 points on three inside baskets. He had a three-point play along with a jumper and a pair of free throws.

"That was huge. That little run made that game for us. It was a make-or-break situation," Anderson said of Lopez. "To have him kind of really step up and make some huge plays really sparked the energy and the effort for the rest of the game."

That spurt gave New Orleans a 71-60 lead, and Anderson added a couple of jumpers and a layup late in the period to help the Hornets maintain a 77-67 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

The lead grew as large as 22 points in the final quarter as even New Orleans' reserves shot well. Lance Thomas and Brian Roberts each finished with 10 points.

New Orleans led by as many as 10 points in the first half after back-to-back 3s by Anderson and Aminu made it 43-33, but Jennings, who had 15 in the first half, helped the Bucks trim New Orleans' lead. Ellis then pulled Milwaukee to 53-50 at halftime with a 27-foot bank shot that he attempted at the horn after his attempted pass to the right sideline deflected back to him off of Smith's leg.

NOTES: Milwaukee F Mike Dunleavy returned to the lineup in a reserve role after missing one game with left knee soreness. He had six points in 20 minutes. ... Skiles opted for a starting frontcourt of C Ekpe Udoh, F John Henson and swingman Marquis Daniels. They combined for 11 points and 11 rebounds. ... In his second game back from offseason right knee surgery, Luc Mbah Moute had seven points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes. ... The Hornets entered the game shooting 44 percent for the season. ... New Orleans was 5 of 12 on 3-pointers. ... Vasquez narrowly missed a double-double with nine assists. ... The Hornets made all 11 of their free throws.

Notebook: Hornets 102, Bucks 81

Bradley Handwerger, for NBA.com
Posted Mon Dec 03, 2012 11:22 PM - Updated Mon Dec 03, 2012 11:22 PM

THE FACTS: The New Orleans Hornets broke a two-game slide and won for only the second time in 11 games, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 102-81 Monday night.

While Ryan Anderson paced the Hornets (5-11) with 22 points and seven rebounds, it was Robin Lopez who guided New Orleans back into the win column, matching his season high with 21 points on 80 percent shooting. His one-man 11-point run in the middle of the third quarter was all New Orleans needed.

The Bucks (8-8) didn't help matter, turning the ball over 16 times, which the Hornets turned in 27 points, while shooting only 38.3 percent.

Brandon Jennings (25 points) and Monta Ellis (17) did all they could for the Bucks, but they got little help. Milwaukee's three other starters combined for just 11 points.

Meanwhile, the Hornets hit more than 50 percent of their shots and were perfect from the free-throw line. Greivis Vasquez had 11 points and nine assists for New Orleans, which was led off the bench by Jason Smith's 12 points.

QUOTABLE: "Anybody who has seen us play knows that when we're really moving the ball around, we're really hard to guard. When we start dribbling too much, we get in trouble. It seemed like we dribbled into crowds tonight and had trouble getting out of crowds, turned it over, they went down and made shots and usually you're not going to give a team 27 points off of turnovers and come out and win a game."
-- Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles on if he thought his team was too rushed against New Orleans.

THE STAT: 48-34 -- The Hornets outscored the Bucks by 14 points in the paint and New Orleans did it without Anthony Davis, who remains out with a stress reaction in his left ankle. When New Orleans took over the game in the second half, it was largely from the inside. The Hornets were more aggressive, something the players said coach Monty Williams has impressed upon them time and again. In the third and four quarters, the Hornets outrebounded the Bucks 21-15 and were in the paint for easy baskets throughout.

TURNING POINT: Down by two less than four minutes into the third quarter, the Hornets did what they haven't been able to do for much of the season -- got hot. The run was keyed by Lopez, who used his 7-foot, 255-pound frame to continually get to the free-throw line or near the basket. After Al-Farouq Aminu tied the game on a dunk, Lopez scored the next 11 points on a 13-0 New Orleans run. The Hornets took a 71-60 lead and never trailed again.

NOT: Milwaukee's starters couldn't find the basket Monday night. Though Jennings finished with 25 points, he was only 10 of 23. Ellis was better at 5 of 12 but the rest of the starting five went a combined 4 of 15.

NOTABLE: New Orleans' win was its 11th straight at home against Milwaukee. ... Anderson's 22 points led the Hornets and marked the seventh time in 16 games he has done that. ... Milwaukee's 19 offensive rebounds were the most by a Hornets opponent this season. ... Milwaukee's Luc Mbah Moute scored seven points and had eight rebounds in his second game back from offseason right knee surgery.

UP NEXT: For the Hornets, Wednesday vs. Lakers, Friday vs Memphis, Saturday @ Miami. For the Bucks, Wednesday @ San Antonio, Friday vs. Charlotte, Sunday @ Brooklyn.

• Bucks: Gooden, Udrih
• Hornets: Gordon

• Bucks: --
• Hornets: --

• Lead Changes: 13
• Times Tied: 7

• Arena: New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA
• Officials: #10 Ron Garretson, #58 Josh Tiven, #35 Kane Fitzgerald
• Attendance: 12321
• Duration: 2:05