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IN LIKE A LION, OUT LIKE A BUCK - As the weather warms up in the month of March, so have the Bucks.
Milwaukee won for the 11th time in March last night, marking the first time they have won 11 games in a month
since an 11-6 December in 2006. With a win tonight, the Bucks would have their first 12-win month since going
12-3 in January of 1989. The team has won double-digit games in March for the first time since 2000-01, when
they were 11-5 in the third month of the calendar year. In earning their eighth home win of the month, the Bucks
have won their most home games in a month since a 9-1 January in at the BC in 2003-04 and earned eight wins in
March for the first time since going 8-1 in the aforementioned January of 1989. Regardless of tonight's outcome,
Milwaukee also has two straight winning road months under their belt for the first time since January (5-4) and
February (2-1) of 2001-02. The Bucks have held opponents to 92.3 points per game in their 11-3 March so far.
RIDNOUR POWER - Luke Ridnour is becoming a big power surge off the bench for the Bucks and has scored
double figures in five of his last six games, averaging 12.0 points, a team-leading 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals in
those six and shooting 53.8 percent (28-52), including 43.8 (7-16) from three-point range.
THREE HISTORY - Brandon Jennings Bucks rookie record 131 three-pointers rank second among rookies and 16th
in the NBA and have the Bucks in good position to set a franchise mark for three-pointers in a season. Milwaukee
has currently hit 571 shots from behind the arc, 22 away from the club record of 593. Their 571 made threes rank
them fourth in the NBA.
DEER SEASON - Since the calendar turned to February, it has been deer season in Milwaukee with the Bucks tied
for a league-best 21 wins since February 1. Their .750 winning percentage (21-7) is third in the Eastern Conference
to Cleveland (.800, 20-5) and Orlando (.769, 20-6) over that time and fifth best in the NBA. The Bucks are
outscoring foes 96.3-92.2 over that stretch and have held 20 of those 27 opponents under 100 points, including
13 to 89 or less.
BUILDING BLOCKS - Andrew Bogut (441) continues his climb up the all-time franchise blocks list as he is now tied with Marques Johnson's 441 for sixth in
Bucks history. Bogut, who began the season outside of the top 10 in career blocks, has already passed Glenn Robinson (351), Paul Pressey (372), Dan
Gadzuric (414) and Vin Baker (429). The Aussie is second in the NBA in blocks with an average of 2.5 per game and has blocked a shot in his last 36 games.
Bogut's 166 blocks this season are the most by a Bucks player since Alton Lister had 167 in 1984-85 and give him the seventh highest single-season block
total in Bucks history. The Bucks are 14-3 when their center swats four or more attempts in a game. Additionally, the Bucks are 23-6 when the Aussie scores
17 or more; 16-3 when Bogut scores 20 or more points; and 13-1 when he scores at least 20 points with 10 or more rebounds.
SALMONS RUN - Since acquiring John Salmons at the trade deadline, the Bucks have gone on a 17-4 (.810) run, including 7-2 on the road. Salmons is
averaging a team-high 19.5 points to go with 3.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals in his 21 games as a Buck, leading or tied for the team lead in scoring
in 10 of those games and scoring double-figures in 19 of them. Salmons has also tallied 10 games with 20 points or more.
- The Bucks reached the 41-win mark last night, guaranteeing them a non-losing season for the first time since
going 41-41 in 2003-04. Their next win will give them their first winning season since posting a 42-40 record
in the 2002-03 season. The Bucks, who have the fifth-most wins of any NBA franchise since their inception in
1968-69, have now finished at .500 or above 25 times in their history.
- With the Suns beating the Bulls last night, the Bucks magic number needed to qualify for the playoffs is now at
three, meaning that any combination of Bucks wins and Bulls losses totaling three will secure Milwaukee its
first playoff berth since 2005-06.
- The Bucks began their first of four straight back-to-back sets last night with a win, improving to 11-8 in the first
game of back-to-back sets this year. They are 12-6 in the second game of back-to-backs.
- The Bucks have won 17 of their last 21 (.810) and are 23-7 (.767) since January 27.
- Andrew Bogut and Dwight Howard are the only players in the NBA averaging 15.0 pts, 10.0 rebs and 2.0 blks.
- Carlos Delfino (493) is seven assists from 500 career dishes and four threes from a career-high in threepointers
(currently 120 with Toronto in 07-08). Jerry Stackhouse is two steals (848) from 850 for his career.
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