Bucks continue winning streak vs. Nets
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brandon Jennings netted a game-high 25 points and handed out six assists as the Milwaukee Bucks continued their recent dominance of the Brooklyn Nets with a 108-93 victory on Wednesday at the Bradley Center.
Monta Ellis scored 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting, while Mike Dunleavy added 17 points for the Bucks, who have won 13 straight games against the New Jersey/Brooklyn franchise. Ersan Ilyasova donated 17 points and 11 boards and Larry Sanders added 12 points and 12 rebounds in the victory.
"We were making our shots and making our free throws," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "Sometimes it's as simple as that."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brook Lopez scored a team-high 21 points and ripped down 10 rebounds, while Andray Blatche netted 14 points to go with five rebounds for the Nets, who haven't topped the Bucks since March 3, 2009.
Joe Johnson and Keith Bogans contributed 13 and 11 points, respectively, for Brooklyn, which was missing star point guard Deron Williams, who sat out with a bruised right wrist.
"We just have to try to develop some kind of consistency," said Johnson. "If you want to be a good team in this league, you have got to fight through times like this."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}After a tightly played opening 12 minutes in which each side led by as many as six, the Nets held a 24-22 advantage.
It remained close throughout most of the second quarter until the home team created some separation in the latter stages of the session.
Trailing 37-33 with 6:32 on the clock, Jennings buried a deep deuce which ignited the Bucks on a first-half-ending 22-5 outburst. Jennings finished the opening half with 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting as Milwaukee held a comfortable 55-42 cushion.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Milwaukee remained comfortably ahead for the duration of the third quarter, but a layup by Blatche cut the deficit to 71-64 with 1:46 left in the stanza. The hosts, though, closed the quarter with a quick 7-3 burst to enter the final period with a 78-67 advantage.
Ilyasova opened the final quarter with a pair of free throws to widen the Milwaukee margin to 80-67, but the Nets still had some fight in them, using a 13-4 surge, capped by a deep trey from Tyshawn Taylor, to close the gap to 84-80 with 8:51 to play.
But, just minutes later, the Bucks' lead was back to 11 thanks to a quick 9-2 spurt, capped by a corner 3-ball from Dunleavy with 5:45 to go.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Johnson pulled the Nets within eight courtesy of a 3-pointer with 3:30 remaining, but the visitors could not get any closer.
Game Notes
Milwaukee also has won six straight games against the Nets as the host ...The Bucks had been held under 100 points in their past eight consecutive games ... The Bucks shot 10-of-17 from three-point range and 18-of-19 from the free throw line ... Brooklyn shot 38.6 percent from the floor and just 4-of-21 from beyond the arc.