Another starring role
Bledsoe seizes moment again
NEW YORK - Milwaukee Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe has put together a string of strong performance and Saturday night's game against the New York Knicks was no exception.
With less than six minutes left and the Bucks locked in a one-possession game, Bledsoe played a pivotal role in a run that put the Bucks in control for good on the way to a 115-102 victory at Madison Square Garden.
“I thought a lot of guys contributed, Bled in particular was very good down the stretch," Bucks interim coach Joe Prunty said.
Following a jumper by Khris Middleton that put the Bucks ahead by one, Bledsoe picked off a pass by Jarrett Jack, somehow tip-toed the sideline to stay in bounds then kicked a pass back to Tony Snell, who fired up a three-pointer. Snell got a shooter's bounce to put the Bucks up by four.
Bledsoe then made four free throws and dished a pass to Jabari Parker for a three-pointer that, thanks to some solid team defense and some misses by the Knicks, gave Milwaukee a 12-0 run and an 11-
point lead with just over two minutes to play.
The Knicks snapped the spurt with a Kyle O'Quinn layup, but Bledsoe pushed the margin back into double digits for good with a three-pointer. The Bucks point guard finished the night with 22 points on 7 of 9 shooting and 10 assists to lead Milwaukee to the victory. Sixteen of his 22 points came after halftime.
Milwaukee, which was playing without five players including all-star Giannis Antetokounmpo who sat with right ankle soreness, also got 22 points from Khris Middleton. Jabari Parker, who started for Antetokounmpo, added 16 points and 12 rebounds and center John Henson put up 15 points — all in the first half — along with 12 rebounds.
With the win, the Bucks moved into a tie with the Miami Heat for sixth in the Eastern Conference with two games to play. By virtue of the tiebreaker between the two teams, the Bucks stand in seventh.
BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
Brogdon coming back: Malcolm Brogdon was listed by the Bucks as probable on Saturday morning. But after the shootaround his outlook was downgraded to doubtful and he did not end up playing against the Knicks.
He will be back for Monday's game against the Orlando Magic, he says.
“Close, but we realized I wasn’t quite there," Brogdon said. "Just got to wait. I’ll be back Monday.”
Rolling: The Bucks, which had three players down with right ankle injuries, added a couple more twists on Saturday night.
In the first five minutes of the game, Snell stepped on Henson's foot and went down to the court, writhing in pain having rolled his right ankle. He subbed out and went directly to the locker room but was ultimately able to return.
In the second quarter, Henson tweaked his own right ankle going for a rebound. He was obviously hampered by it on the next few possessions, but was able to stay in after a timeout.
UP NEXT
Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (43-37) vs. Orlando Magic (24-55).
When: 7 p.m. Monday.
Where: BMO Harris Bradley Center. About the Magic: The Bucks welcome the Orlando Magic for their final regular-season game at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Magic will be playing on short rest following a game in Toronto on Sunday evening. Short rest wasn't a hindrance the last time these teams played, though, as the Magic — on the second night of a backto-back — cruised past the Bucks, 126117, in Orlando on Mach 14. The Bucks lead the season series, 2-1.