Recap: Milwaukee vs. San Antonio
Sports Network | November 12, 2008
Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Richard Jefferson scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks edged the ailing San Antonio Spurs 82-78.
Tim Duncan scored 24 points for the depleted Spurs, who played without stars Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Ginobili is out until at least December, while Parker sprained his left ankle against Miami last week and could miss up to four weeks.
Michael Finley added 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting for San Antonio, which has dropped five of seven to start the season.
The Bucks had their own injury problems, though, as they were already without sharpshooter Michael Redd, who missed his fifth straight game with a sprained right ankle before forward Charlie Villanueva left in the second quarter with a hamstring injury. Villanueva did not return.
Andrew Bogut had 17 rebounds and 10 points for the Bucks, who had lost three straight. Ramon Sessions added 13 points off the bench for Milwaukee, which nearly squandered a late 10-point lead but held on for the win.
The Bucks lead stood at 73-63 after a Sessions jumper with just over three minutes left in regulation, but Duncan converted consecutive three-point plays, and his free throw with 2:27 left cut the deficit to 73-69.
The four-point lead held for the Bucks into the final minute, but Finley nailed a three-pointer from the corner to pull San Antonio within 79-78 with 12.3 seconds to play. Sessions was fouled but missed the second free throw, giving San Antonio the chance to tie.
Duncan missed a leaner in the lane, though, and Roger Mason couldn't corral the rebound before it bounced out of bounds. Jefferson made two free throws with 3.4 seconds left to give Milwaukee a four-point lead and the win.
The Bucks won despite making just 2-of-11 three-pointers, thanks in part to outrebounding the Spurs 47-37.
San Antonio held an 18-15 lead after the first quarter, and that lead expanded to 43-31 by the end of the first half. The Bucks pulled to within 59-53 after the third quarter, and took the lead with a 16-2 run to open the fourth quarter.
The Bucks are the only team in the NBA to have a winning record against the Spurs since the start of the 1999-2000 season. Milwaukee has won 11 of 19 meetings over that time period. The Spurs took both meetings last season, but Milwaukee won twice in 2006-07 and forged a split the previous season...Luke Ridnour scored 10 points for the Bucks, and Luc Mbah a Moute had 11 points and seven boards for Milwaukee.
