[narek]

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (16-24) vs. New Orleans Hornets (27-12).

When: 2:30 p.m. today.

Where: New Orleans Arena.

Broadcasts: TV - None. Radio - AM-620.

About the Hornets: They climbed into first place in the Southwest Division with a victory over Charlotte on Friday, only to see Dallas move into a first-place tie with a victory over Seattle the next night. The Hornets are on top of their game. They have won four straight and 12 of their last 14. They also have won seven straight road games.

PLAYER TO WATCH
DAVID WEST, Hornets

He's having an outstanding season and the Hornets are touting him as an all-star candidate. In the last 10 games, he has averaged 23.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game and has scored 20 or more points seven times. He has recorded seven double-doubles in those 10 games. For the season, West is averaging 19.5 points and 9.4 rebounds.

LINEUPS
PROBABLE HORNETS STARTERS

Player Ht. From
G-Chris Paul 6-0 Wake Forest
G-M. Peterson 6-7 Mich. State
F-David West 6-9 Xavier
F-Peja Stojakovic 6-10 Serbia
C-T. Chandler 7-1 Compton, Calif.

Coach: Byron Scott (fourth season, 121-163; eighth overall, 268-302).


PROBABLE BUCKS STARTERS

Player Ht. From
G-Mo Williams 6-1 Alabama
G-Michael Redd 6-6 Ohio State
F-Bobby Simmons 6-6 DePaul
F-Yi Jianlian 7-0 China
C-Andrew Bogut 7-0 Utah

Coach: Larry Krystkowiak (second season, 21-37).

Injury report: Desmond Mason (left thumb) is out.

THE SERIES
The Bucks lost both games against the Hornets last season. The teams will meet again Feb 13 at the Bradley Center.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=709271

[narek]

Good first half, lousy second half. Couldn't do anything defensively against Chris Paul. And why does Larry K start a small backcourt? Why?

[narek]

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Center Tyson Chandler finished with 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting and 15 rebounds for the Hornets. "It definitely picks up our intensity," he said of his eight offensive rebounds. "When we get a second shot, it just makes us that much better at it."

PLAY OF THE GAME: Take your pick. Either the first alley-oop dunk by Chandler on a pass at the rim from guard Chris Paul that gave New Orleans an 80-69 lead just 47 seconds into the fourth quarter. Or the second time that Paul connected with Chandler on a similar alley-oop pass just 1 minute later that put New Orleans ahead by 13.

STATISTICS SHEET: The Hornets made 9 three-point baskets: four each by Peja Stojakovic and Mo Peterson and one by Jannero Pargo. One of Peterson's three-pointers, early in the third quarter, became a four-point play when he was fouled by Milwaukee's Mo Williams and Peterson made the free throw.

OFF THE BENCH: Bucks forward Bobby Simmons returned after missing one game with a sprained neck. Simmons played 23 minutes off the bench and finished with eight points and three rebounds.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=709592

[narek]

New Orleans – It was a tale of two halves for guard Michael Redd in the Milwaukee Bucks’ 106-92 loss to the New Orleans Arena here Monday afternoon.

In the first half, Redd scored 17 points on five-of-nine shooting, including two-of-four from three-point range. He made his first four shots of the game. But in the second half, Redd missed all seven of his shots, one from beyond the arc, and scored his only points on two free throws early in the fourth quarter.

“They really loaded up on him,” said coach Larry Krystkowiak. “He was really aggressive in the first half. Nothing really changed as far as our game plan in the second half. The first few shots that Mike took were open and he missed them. That’s kind of the difference in someone getting on a roll and continuing that or not.


“In our previous game, Mike had 20 points in the first half and three in the second half. He needs to be a little bit more aggressive coming out the third quarter. It’s not like we’re going to other options. It’s just finding a more of a level of consistency.”


It was the Bucks’ fifth loss in their last six games and dropped their record to 16-25. It was also the first game in a difficult week in which the Bucks will play four games in five nights.

http://blogs.jsonline.com/bucks/arch...cools-off.aspx

[roux2dope]

I listened to the game, the hornets seriously had about 10 ally oops, and the bucks radio guy was screaming at the amount of jumpers the bucks were taking. Basically it was the same ol song and dance kind of loss.