[narek]

Teams: Bucks (17-27) vs. Washington Wizards (23-18).

When: 5 tonight.

Where: Bradley Center.

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

About the Wizards: They're trying to forget a 36-point loss to Cleveland on Wednesday, and their 104-93 victory over Memphis on Friday was a step in the right direction. Washington has won six of its last eight and is closing in on Orlando for the lead in the Southeast Division.

PLAYER TO WATCH

CARON BUTLER, Wizards

The Wizards are promoting him as an all-star reserve candidate, and for good reason. He is posting career highs in scoring (21.5), assists (4.4), steals (2.33), field-goal percentage (48.1%), three-point shooting (36.0%) and free-throw percentage (91.1%). Butler also is averaging 6.9 rebounds per game and joins LeBron James and Kobe Bryant as the only players averaging at least 20 points, six rebounds and four assists per game.

LINEUPS
PROBABLE WIZARDS STARTERS

Player Ht. From
G-Antonio Daniels 6-4 Bowling Green
G-DeShawn Stevenson 6-5 Fresno, Calif.
F-Antawn Jamison 6-9 North Carolina
F-Caron Butler 6-7 Connecticut
C-Brendan Haywood 7-0 North Carolina

Coach: Eddie Jordan (fifth season, 176-193, seventh overall, 209-257).

Injury report: Gilbert Arenas (left knee) and Etan Thomas (heart surgery) are out.

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, 22-40).

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

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=711629

[narek]

Redd's out, Ivey's starting in his place.

[seifer0406]

lol, up by 11 and Mo Williams throws the game away.

[Big Mike]

Originally Posted by seifer0406

lol, up by 11 and Mo Williams throws the game away.

than proceeds to kill the Wizards in overtime.

Mo Williams = Wiz killer

Its not the first time hes done it.

[seifer0406]

I guess he does love the dramatic finish.

[roux2dope]

Didnt listen to the game, but what a shocker they played well without redd again. Mo thrives in a lead scoring role, Bogut puts up 18 and 15. I read that they tanked in the last minute again but all in all its a good win over a very solid basketball team .

[narek]

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Lost in the shuffle of all the late heroics was the game that Bucks guard Charlie Bell turned in off the bench. Bell played 41 minutes, including all of the fourth quarter and overtime, and finished with 22 points, six rebound and six assists.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Bucks guard Royal Ivey knew the shot clock was running down and that 6-foot-9 Antawn Jamison was running at him, so Ivey lofted a high-arching shot from in front of the Bucks bench that nestled into the net to give Milwaukee a 103-99 lead with 6 seconds left in overtime. "Jamison came out and I looked up at the shot clock and there was 4 seconds and I knew I didn't have much time," Ivey said. "He probably would have blocked my shot if I was going to the lane so I said, 'I'm just going to step back and shoot it over him.' I put it up like a rainbow but it went down for me. What can I say? I hit a big shot and we pulled out the victory."

STATISTICS SHEET: Despite slow starts in both the first and second quarters, the Bucks led at halftime, 40-37. The Bucks started the game by making two of their first 12 shots with four turnovers. They started the second quarter by missing their first five shots with three turnovers. Washington led by 11 early in the second quarter but ended up shooting 35% in the first half with seven turnovers.

OFF THE BENCH: With Michael Redd and Charlie Villanueva sidelined with injuries, Awvee Storey and Michael Ruffin got the call and both played 17 productive minutes. Bell had a big game off the bench as did Ivey, who moved into the starting lineup. "With Mike being out, guys stepped up and played well," guard Mo Williams said. "Royal played really well. Charlie Bell stepped up. We got it from a lot of different areas."

DOWN THE STRETCH: Did the Bucks relax too early at the end of regulation?

"A little bit," center Andrew Bogut said. "We had a couple key turnovers and a freak play. . . . Jamison banks a shot from the corner, it hits the side of the backboard and it goes in and they get an 'and-one.' And then they get another offensive rebound. . . . The ball was bouncing their way but we stuck with it and we ended up getting a win."

Said Krystkowiak, "I don't think it was as much us letting our guard down as it was them making some plays."

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=711776