[narek]

TEAMS: Bucks (26-51) vs. Toronto Raptors (38-39).

WHEN: 6 tonight.

WHERE: Air Canada Centre, Toronto.

BROADCASTS: TV - None. Radio - AM-1250.

ABOUT THE RAPTORS: They're trying to improve their playoff position but have lost three straight and 15 of their last 21.

PLAYER TO WATCH
JAMARIO MOON, Raptors

Among the league's rookies, Moon ranks first in steals (1.04), second in blocks (1.40) and rebounds (6.2) and third in minutes (28.2).

LINEUPS
PROBABLE RAPTORS STARTERS

Player Ht. From
G-T.J. Ford 6-0 Texas
G-Anthony Parker 6-6 Bradley
F-Jamario Moon 6-8 Meridian CC
F-Chris Bosh 6-10 Georgia Tech
C-Rasho Nesterovic 7-0 Slovenia

Coach: Sam Mitchell (fourth season, 145-178).

Injury report: Jorge Garbajosa (left ankle) is out.

PROBABLE BUCKS STARTERS

Player Ht. From
G-Ramon Sessions 6-3 Nevada
G-Michael Redd 6-6 Ohio State
F-Desmond Mason 6-5 Okla. State
F-Charlie Villanueva 6-11 Connecticut
C-Andrew Bogut 7-0 Utah

Coach: Larry Krystkowiak (second season, 31-64).

Injury report: Charlie Bell (right knee) and Yi Jianlian (left knee) are out. Mo Williams (pubic symphysitis) and Jake Voskuhl (left ankle) are questionable

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=737157

[narek]

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Toronto's Chris Bosh scored 22 of his 32 points in the first half and grabbed 11 rebounds. "We always tell Chris if he can take the block early, take it and I thought he was very aggressive," said coach Sam Mitchell. "He didn't catch and hold, he was decisive in his decisions and he played a great game."

PLAY OF THE GAME: The Bucks were still within 11 late in the game when Toronto's Anthony Parker missed a three-pointer but the Raptors got the rebound and Parker scored on a layup to give Toronto a 100-87 lead with 3:11 left and the fans got free pizza for 100 points in a victory.

STATISTICS SHEET:Charlie Villanueva scored the Bucks first 11 points of the game. He also scored the first 13 points on the second quarter and at that point he had scored 27 of Milwaukee's first 31 points. "I had it going," said Villanueva. "I was shooting the ball well. I was in a zone for a second. But at the same time, I hate losing."

OFF THE BENCH: Despite playing on the second game of a back-to-back situation, Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak used an eight-man rotation and the legs got heavy in the second half. "I'm not here to make excuses," said Villanueva. "But we're coming off a back-to-back and Toronto had a couple days off."

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=737771

Bell is done for the season officially now.

[narek]

Defense, passing go AWOL again

Toronto - It's been a re-occurring theme for the Milwaukee Bucks - quick shots leading to easy transition baskets for the opposition - and coach Larry Krystkowiak admitted that it gets old talking about it after awhile.

"It kind of does," he said after the Toronto Raptors blew open a close game in the third quarter of a 111-93 victory over the Bucks Wednesday night at the Air Canada Centre. "It kind of does.

"It's been a little bit of a repetitive thing for us and the reality is, we're about to watch a lot of playoff basketball, You'll see a lot of games and you'll see a lot of passing and unselfishness. Guys willing to make the extra pass and there's an absolute correlation between teams that are willing to do that and being successful, and teams at the bottom of the tier like ourselves that don't necessarily play that way. We've tried but it just hasn't worked."

Said center Andrew Bogut, "It's been the same story since about December so there's no surprises there. When we knock (shots) down and play defense, we win games. When we don't we lose."

Riding a sensational 27-point outburst by Villanueva, the Bucks were within two points of the Raptors at halftime only to have the walls come tumbling down in the third quarter. Taking advantage of the Bucks' quick-trigger offensive, Toronto got out and ran. The Raptors made 15-of-21 shots (71.4%) in the third quarter and outscored the Bucks, 33-20.

While starters played most of the third quarter, Krystkowiak went with Villanueva, Ramon Sessions, Royal Ivey, Bobby Simmons, and Michael Ruffin to start the fourth and the Bucks drew to within 10. Toronto pulled away again in the final 4½ minutes.

"We didn't do what we were doing in the first half," said Villanueva. "That third quarter when they made their run we were trying to beat them by individual play vs. doing what we did in the first half."