The Milwaukee Bucks have the NBA’s worst offense and dropped eight of 10 before the All-Star break, but they are only a few games out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

The Bucks will try to avoid a second loss this season to the last-place Minnesota Timberwolves when they meet Tuesday night at the Bradley Center.

Milwaukee (21-34) is in 10th place in the East, but despite stumbling before the break, it hasn’t played itself out of playoff contention. The Bucks trail eighth-place Indiana for the final spot by 3 1/2 games.

However, they know their offense needs to be better.

Milwaukee is the worst-shooting (42.3 percent) and lowest-scoring (91.3 points per game) team in the NBA. The Bucks are averaging 89.6 points in their last seven games.

“We just have to be able to make a couple of plays to get over the hump,” guard John Salmons(notes) said after a 94-87 loss to Denver on Wednesday. “It is frustrating, but we just have to keep playing through it.”

Salmons had his best game of the season against the Nuggets, scoring 33 points on 13-of-23 shooting.

Milwaukee will begin the second half looking to take better advantage of favorable matchups. Of its last five losses, three came against teams that had losing records.

The Bucks would particularly like to avenge a 96-85 loss to Minnesota (13-43) on Oct. 29. They shot 35.6 percent, were outrebounded 62-39 and Salmons was held to seven points on 3-of-8 shooting.

The Western Conference-worst Timberwolves have recorded eight of their 13 wins at the expense of teams from the East, but they’ve lost four straight overall, including 98-80 to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

“Guys are sick and tired of losing, I can tell you that right now,” coach Kurt Rambis said. “They’re disappointed in how we’re playing. It’s been a difficult year, winning and losing wise, on everybody.”

Minnesota has averaged 86.0 points and shot 36.8 percent over the last three games. Michael Beasley(notes), averaging 19.9 points and 5.6 rebounds, has missed the last five with a sprained left ankle and it’s not certain if he’ll be available Tuesday night.

Point guard Jonny Flynn(notes) will miss a second straight game after he was shut down before the break as he tries to recover from hip surgery. Flynn, averaging 5.8 points and 3.3 assists, will also sit out Wednesday against Memphis.

Beasley’s injury will put additional pressure on All-Star Kevin Love(notes), who leads the league in rebounding with 15.5 per game while averaging 21.1 points. He had 17 points and 16 rebounds against the Bucks in October.

While the Timberwolves are realistic, they are hoping for a better finish this season after going 2-27 down the stretch last year.

“Everybody says it’s going to take some time,” center Darko Milicic(notes) said. “We’re going through that time right now and it’s painful.”

The Timberwolves have lost five of their last six visits to Milwaukee.

Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers continue their 11-game road trip tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center.

(Sports Network) – Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers continue their 11-game road trip tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center.

The Clippers haven’t fared so well on the Grammy Awards road tour, falling to 1-5 on the trek following Sunday’s 98-93 loss in Toronto. Griffin had 21 points and 15 rebounds, while Baron Davis recorded a 20-point, seven-assist effort for Los Angeles, which was coming off Friday’s loss in Cleveland that ended the Cavs’ NBA-record 26-game losing streak.

“I missed some easy shots. I have to do a better job distributing the ball,” Griffin said after the loss to the Raptors.

Brian Cook and Ryan Gomes scored 17 and 14 points, respectively, in defeat.

Los Angeles will also visit the Timberwolves, Thunder, Hornets and Lakers on the excursion, and is only 4-20 as the guest in 2010-11.

Meanwhile, the Bucks will continue a four-game homestand this evening and started the residency with Saturday’s 103-97 loss to Indiana.

Carlos Delfino had 21 points off the bench and Keyon Dooling scored 13 points in a reserve role for Milwaukee, which has lost three straight and seven of its last eight games. Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova both had 10 points, and Andrew Bogut posted nine and 12 rebounds.

“We went double-digit possessions without getting a basket, I believe it was, maybe even 12 possessions,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. “You’re not going to win too many games doing that; at the same time, we broke down a little bit in transition defense, and they went on a run. We tried to take a couple timeouts, tried to regroup a little bit, but just weren’t able to get anything going.”

Indiana used a 14-0 run in the fourth quarter to put the Bucks away. The loss snapped Milwaukee’s six-game overall winning streak versus the Pacers, and a five-game winning streak to Indiana at the Bradley Center.

The Bucks will also host Denver and Minnesota, and are 12-12 in Brew City. On the injury front for Milwaukee, guard Chris Douglas-Roberts (flu) and forward Corey Maggette (back) are listed as questionable for tonight. Bogut had recorded a block in 23 straight games before coming up empty versus Indy.

Los Angeles beat Milwaukee, 105-98, on Jan. 31 this season at Staples Center, as Griffin led the charge with 32 points and 11 rebounds that day. The Clippers have won 11 of the past 15 games in this series.

Milwaukee, however, is 10-5 in the previous 15 as the host.

© 2011 The Sports Network

The Memphis Grizzlies kick off a three-game homestand tonight by entertaining the slumping Milwaukee Bucks at FedEx Forum.

(Sports Network) – The Memphis Grizzlies kick off a three-game homestand tonight by entertaining the slumping Milwaukee Bucks at FedEx Forum.

The Grizzlies, who are 16-8 as the host and will also face Denver and Philadelphia on their residency, are coming off a big overtime win in Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Zach Randolph scored 31 points, including a key basket late in the extra frame, to give Memphis a 105-101 win over the talented Thunder.

Randolph added 14 rebounds, while Tony Allen helped overcome the absences of Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo by pouring in 27 points and adding five steals for the Grizzlies, who halted a two-game losing streak. Sam Young added 14 points, Mike Conley scored 13, and Marc Gasol chipped in 12 points for the victors.

“We kept battling,” Memphis head coach Lionel Hollins said. “Some negative things happened to us. They called traveling on us twice. We had a fastbreak and we throw it away. But we kept playing, we didn’t quit.”

Mayo, who was suspended 10 games for violating the league’s drug program, will be sidelined for two more contests while Gay, who is struggling with a sprained toe, is listed as day-to-day.

The Bucks, meanwhile, lost for the fifth time in six games to the lowly Wizards in the nation’s capital on Wednesday. Nick Young had 26 points to lead Washington’s balanced attack as it halted an eight-game skid with a 100-85 win.

Brandon Jennings notched 20 points and John Salmons added 14 for the Bucks, who have lost four straight away from cheese country and are just 8-20 as visitors this season. Andrew Bogut added 12 points and 11 rebounds in the losing effort.

“We just didn’t play good tonight,” Bogut said. “We didn’t look good.”

Milwaukee has won seven of its past nine meetings with the Grizz. Memphis posted a 94-81 win on Jan. 22 at the Bradley Center.

© 2011 The Sports Network

The Toronto Raptors hope to build on their first win in nearly a month when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center.

(Sports Network) – The Toronto Raptors hope to build on their first win in nearly a month when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center.

The Raptors snapped an ugly 13-game skid last Friday when Andrea Bargnani had 30 points and DeMar DeRozan added 20 to help Toronto earn a 111-100 win over Minnesota at Air Canada Centre.

Amir Johnson notched 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Raptors, whose last win came against Sacramento on Jan. 9. Sonny Weems chipped in 16 points, while Jose Calderon had just six points, but dished out a season-best 19 assists in the winning effort.

“We were not playing proper defense during the losing streak,” Bargnani said. “We played good defense in the final quarter and that’s how we hung in there.”

Raptors guard Jerryd Bayless (knee) will miss tonight’s game, while guard Leandro Barbosa is questionable with a hamstring injury.

The Bucks, meanwhile, dropped their fourth in a row in the opener of a brief two-game homestand on Saturday when Tracy McGrady poured in 20 points as the Detroit Pistons upended Milwaukee, 89-78.

Andrew Bogut had 18 points and nine boards for the Bucks, who struggled from the floor, hitting just 39.2 percent, including a 4-of-17 showing from three- point range. Bogut, who did his part by shooting 8-of-15 from the field, had missed the last two games due to a sore right knee.

Corey Maggette added 15 points for the Bucks but the duo of Carlos Delfino and Brandon Jennings made just 4-of-18 shots on the night.

“Our guys are getting a little bit beaten down and we have to battle that,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. “We have to fight that. It’s been a long year offensively for the guys so far.”

Milwaukee has won three of its last four over Toronto, including a 116-110 overtime win north of the border back on Jan. 28.

© 2011 The Sports Network

(Sports Network) – The Memphis Grizzlies will begin a four-game road trip tonight, starting with Saturday’s showdown with the Milwaukee Bucks from the Bradley Center.

Memphis will also visit the Raptors, Nets and Sixers, and is just 7-16 away from FedEx Forum, where it recorded a 115-110 victory over Houston last night.

Zach Randolph posted 29 points, Rudy Gay netted 22 and Mike Conley finished with 17 points and five assists for the Grizzlies, who ended a two-game slide and won for the sixth time in 10 tries.

“We were down, but the effort from everybody was tremendous,” Conley said.

O.J. Mayo contributed 13 points in a reserve role. Randolph tied a franchise record with his ninth straight double-double and is averaging 24.8 points and 15.2 boards over that stretch.

Milwaukee has won back-to-back games, but won for only the third time in nine tries with Friday’s 102-88 triumph in Cleveland. Andrew Bogut had 23 points and six rebounds, while Corey Maggette contributed 20 points for the Bucks, winners in two straight following a three-game slide.

Milwaukee swingman Carlos Delfino scored nine points and pulled down five boards in 23 minutes in his first game since November 6. He had missed the previous 32 contests due to a concussion.

“Our goal was to keep his minutes down but if he felt good we would play him and let him go a little bit longer,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. “He looked fine and he felt good and we are glad to have him back. He had his four defensive rebounds at halftime and he did the things that he does. Obviously his shot and his rhythm are off a little bit still but it is understandable. I thought he played very well.”

The Bucks shot 51 percent and sent Cleveland to its 15th straight loss. Guard John Salmons missed his second straight game with a hip injury and is averaging 13.8 points per game. He is questionable for tonight. Leading scorer and guard Brandon Jennings (foot) is still out. He is averaging 17.9 ppg.

Milwaukee is 9-9 as the host this season.

Memphis and Milwaukee are meeting for the first time since the Bucks swept a home-and-home series a year ago. The Bucks have won eight of the last 10 matchups with the Grizzlies, losers in seven of the previous 10 trips to the Bradley Center.

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The Washington Wizards hope today is the day they capture their first road win of the season, as they are set to face the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday from the Bradley Center.

(Sports Network) – The Washington Wizards hope today is the day they capture their first road win of the season, as they are set to face the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday from the Bradley Center.

Washington is an NBA-worst 0-19 on the road this season and has dropped 20 in a row as the visitor dating back to last season. The NBA mark for most road defeats to start a season belongs to the Dallas Mavericks, who lost 29 straight to open the 1992-93 season.

The Wizards have won two straight and four of their last six games — all at home — and posted a 108-101 victory over a tough Utah Jazz squad on Monday at the Verizon Center. Nick Young had 25 points, Andray Blatche turned in a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds and rookie John Wall provided 19 points and a career-high 15 assists for the Wizards.

“When we get a lead down the stretch and teams come back, we got to learn how to close it out,” said Wall, who leads all Eastern Conference rookies in the month of January in scoring (14.2 ppg), assists (10.9 apg) and in double- doubles with five.

Rashard Lewis contributed 13 points and eight boards, while JaVale McGee ended with 11 rebounds and seven points for Washington, which shot 53.5 percent from the field and made 6-of-14 from three-point range. Young is averaging 28.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in his last four games. Blatche is posting 18.0 points and 12.3 boards in his previous three contests.

Milwaukee has lost three straight and six of seven games, and suffered a 93-84 loss in Houston on Monday. Corey Maggette finished with a season-high 25 points, while Drew Gooden tallied 14 points and 11 boards off the bench.

“We had tremendous trouble with (Kevin) Martin,” Bucks head coach Scott Skiles said of Houston’s star player. “We tried a couple guys on him and didn’t have a lot of luck on him.”

Martin recorded a game-high 36 points to lead the Rockets.

In three games since returning from plantar fasciitis in his left foot, Gooden has averaged 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest.

The Wizards and Bucks are meeting for the first time since both teams split a four-game series a year ago. Milwaukee has won six of the past eight matchups between the teams, while Washington is 5-17 in its last 22 trips to Milwaukee.

© 2011 The Sports Network

The Houston Rockets will try and stop a four-game home losing streak when they take on the Milwaukee Bucks this afternoon on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day from the Toyota Center.

(Sports Network) – The Houston Rockets will try and stop a four-game home losing streak when they take on the Milwaukee Bucks this afternoon on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day from the Toyota Center.

Houston will also welcome the New York Knicks to Space City and owns an admirable 10-9 ledger at home this season. It ended a two-game slide and won for the second time in nine tries with Saturday’s 112-106 victory in Atlanta behind Aaron Brooks’ 24 points and 10 assists.

Luis Scola scored 20 points, while both Kyle Lowry and Jordan Hill finished with 16 for the Rockets, who shot 54 percent and had a 45-32 advantage on the backboards.

“I told them after the game, it just shows, you’ve got to stay with it because we have the potential to keep winning games, but it’s got to be just like this, just like we did tonight,” Houston coach Rick Adelman said.

Rockets rookie forward Patrick Patterson was taken to the hospital for precautionary tests after leaving the game with congestion and chest pains. The tests revealed nothing more than flu-like symptoms, and Patterson returned to Houston with the team. He is listed as doubtful for tonight.

Houston has allowed at least 100 points in each of the last 11 games.

Milwaukee has dropped two straight and seven of nine games, and is coming off a 95-94 loss at Philadelphia Friday night.

Corey Maggette finished with 16 points and five rebounds off the bench and Ersan Ilyasova chipped in 14 points for Milwaukee, which is now 6-14 away from the Bradley Center this season. In the waning moments of the game, Maggette’s jumper from in close was blocked by Sixers guard Andre Iguodala. Maggette got his own rebound and sent a pass to the corner for Earl Boykins, whose three- pointer was off the mark as time expired.

“We were just trying to get [Maggette] to drive to the right,” Bucks head coach Scott Skiles said. “You know they had a foul to give. We thought maybe they’d take the foul early, and we had a back-up plan to take it to the side. Unfortunately, we just got a loose ball, picked it up, and we still got a wide open, good three-point shot at the buzzer. Just couldn’t get it.”

Drew Gooden, Keyon Dooling and John Salmons each added 12 points in defeat. Andrew Bogut pulled down a game-best 12 rebounds to go along with 10 points and Boykins ended with eight points and 11 assists off the bench. Salmons has scored in double digits in each of the past 13 games, averaging 16.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 steals in that span.

Milwaukee topped the Rockets, 97-91, on Dec. 10 at the Bradley Center, but the Rockets have won 10 of the last 12 matchups. The Bucks are winless in their previous 10 visits at the Toyota Center.

© 2011 The Sports Network

Manu Ginobili poured in 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds, as the San Antonio Spurs rallied past the Milwaukee Bucks, 91-84, at the Bradley Center.

Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) – Manu Ginobili poured in 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds, as the San Antonio Spurs rallied past the Milwaukee Bucks, 91-84, at the Bradley Center.

Matt Bonner added 17 points off the bench for the Spurs, who have won four in a row since a two-game skid. Tim Duncan donated 16 points and eight boards.

John Salmons finished with 17 points for the Bucks, who had an extra day of rest after Tuesday’s game in Atlanta was postponed because of inclement weather in the area.

Andrew Bogut chipped in 15 points and 14 boards for Milwaukee, which got 11 points and 10 rebounds from Ersan Ilyasova. Earl Boykins added 12 points in a reserve role.

© 2011 The Sports Network

Updated: Jan. 12, 2011 10:02 p.m. |

Another marquee opponent came calling at the Bradley Center on Wednesday night.

This time it was the San Antonio Spurs, a poised outfit carrying the best record in the National Basketball Association.

And the result was a familiar one for the Milwaukee Bucks: an agonizingly close defeat.

Manu Ginobili again had a big hand in beating the Bucks as the Spurs rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit to grab a 91-84 victory.

The veteran guard finished with a game-high 23 points and seven rebounds and four assists and helped stymie Bucks guard John Salmons in the final 3 minutes after the Bucks had trimmed a nine-point deficit to one point.

“Defensively we were very solid the whole second half,” Ginobili said. “We knew they were going to look for him (Salmons) on pick-and-rolls; he’s a good player.

“We didn’t blitz, but we really helped on him. They were lacking some shooters at that point, so we really collapsed the defense on him. Everybody was shifting so he couldn’t see the whole floor or take easy shots.”

The Bucks scored just 33 points in the second half after bolting to a 51-43 lead at intermission.

And the Spurs (33-6) got a huge lift from sharpshooter Matt Bonner, who scored all 17 of his points in the second half when he went 7 for 9 from the field and 3 of 4 from three-point range.

“He had a good game,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. “He played under control, took the shots that were available and drove it when necessary. He made one shot with his eyes closed at the nail (end of the clock).”

Popovich referred to Bonner’s 15-footer with 57.2 seconds left that boosted San Antonio’s lead to 87-82. The Bucks couldn’t get any closer as center Andrew Bogut missed shots on their next two possessions.

Tim Duncan added 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots as the Spurs beat the Bucks for the fourth straight time.

Milwaukee (14-22) lost to the Miami Heat in overtime on Friday night in its previous Bradley Center appearance. The defeat Wednesday dropped the Bucks’ home record to 8-9.

“It’s not like you’re going to start the second half and run away from a team like San Antonio,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. “That may happen one out of 50 times you play them.

“But you’ve got to come out and make sound, professional plays. We just turned it, turned it (over). We stared down our teammates and threw it right to San Antonio.

“We still had our chances. We just weren’t able to make the plays.”

The Bucks committed nine of their 11 turnovers in the second half and shot just 31.4% (11 of 35) after intermission.

“San Antonio is one of the few teams, they don’t have the peaks and valleys,” Bucks guard Earl Boykins said. “They just play consistent basketball for 48 minutes.

“Tonight we didn’t do that, and it showed. A lot of shooting comes from defense. We weren’t able to get the stops. Every time down the court you’re going against the half-court set. They’re one of the best half-court defensive teams in the league.”

Salmons led the Bucks with 17 points and Bogut added 15 points and 14 rebounds while playing 38 minutes.

“We had trouble getting him (Bogut) the ball a little bit,” Skiles said. “We got him the ball enough in the second half.

“I thought he made some nice plays out of there. They were coming down and doubling him pretty aggressively. He moved the ball. We just didn’t get anything out of it.”

The Bucks held a 66-65 lead after three quarters Wednesday, but three-pointers by Gary Neal, Bonner and Ginobili helped the Spurs take a 76-70 advantage and prompted a timeout by Skiles with 9:04 remaining.

San Antonio extended its margin to 81-72 before the Bucks responded with a three-point play by Ilyasova and two baskets by Salmons, including a three-pointer, to make it 81-80.

But Salmons missed a potential go-ahead jumper, and the Spurs took control with a basket by Ginobili on a drive in the lane and a dunk by Duncan with 1:22 left.

This picture was taken when the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Orlando Magic on Dec. 4. Of the four Magic players shown here, only Brandon Bass (left) is certain to play against the Bucks tonight (Morry Gash, Associated Press)

On Dec. 4, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Orlando Magic 96-85 at the Bradley Center.

The Magic will look almost completely different when the teams face each other again tonight.

Orlando used eight players in that initial meeting. Of those eight, only one, Brandon Bass, is certain to receive playing time this evening.

With Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson suffering from a stomach bug, coach Stan Van Gundy employed the following starting lineup back on Dec. 4.

Chris Duhon PG
Vince Carter SG
Quentin Richardson SF
Rashard Lewis PF
Marcin Gortat C

Bass, Malik Allen and Jason Williams came off the bench that night, because Ryan Anderson had a sprained foot and Mickael Pietrus and J.J. Redick suffered from the same stomach bug that plagued Howard and Nelson.

The Magic look much different now.

• Carter, Lewis, Gortat and Pietrus have been traded.
• Anderson, Howard, Nelson and Redick are healthy.
• Gilbert Arenas, Earl Clark, Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu have arrived in trades.
• Allen is injured.
• Duhon and Quentin Richardson are no longer in the eight-man rotation.

Barring any unexpected developments, Van Gundy will start Nelson, Jason Richardson, Turkoglu, Bass and Howard tonight. None of them started for the Magic against the Bucks back on Dec. 4.

The Bucks also are a bit different. Starting point guard Brandon Jennings — who scored 27 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out six assists in the teams’ initial game — will not play tonight because he’s recovering from surgery on his left foot.

Follow Josh Robbins on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins and e-mail him at [email protected]. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

MILWAUKEE — Dallas forward Caron Butler left the Mavericks’ game against Milwaukee in the first quarter Saturday night after injuring his right knee.

After Dallas’ Jason Kidd hit a shot, Butler went down to the floor grasping his knee. He rolled over onto his stomach as play continued before Dallas was able to call a timeout.

The training staffs from both teams assisted Butler, who slapped the floor in frustration. Two minutes later, Butler — from nearby Racine — was helped to his feet and limped to the locker room under his own power.

The Mavericks said he would miss the rest of the game.

In April 2007 at the Bradley Center,Butler broke his right hand while with the Wizards when he was challenging a shot at the backboard. He missed the rest of the season.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

The Dallas Mavericks will shoot for their ninth straight win on the road when they open a short two-game trek tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks from the Bradley Center.

(Sports Network) – The Dallas Mavericks will shoot for their ninth straight win on the road when they open a short two-game trek tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks from the Bradley Center.

Dallas has won eight in a row away from Big D and is 11-1 as the visitor this season. It has lost two in a row since a five-game winning streak and suffered a 99-93 loss to the Southwest Division-rival San Antonio Spurs on Thursday at American Airlines Center.

Caron Butler posted a season-high 30 points to pace the Mavericks, while Jason Kidd added a triple-double of 12 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds. The Mavs were without All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki for a second straight game because of a knee sprain suffered in a win at Oklahoma City on Monday. Nowitzki is averaging 24.1 points and 7.4 rebounds and is listed as doubtful for tonight’s contest.

“In order for us to succeed without Dirk, we’re going to have to find a way and we’ve got a group of awfully talented guys in here and we can win without him,” said Mavericks forward Brian Cardinal, who started in Nowitzki’s place and finished with nine points.

The Mavericks will also make a stop in Cleveland on their road swing. Kidd, meanwhile, recorded the 106th triple-double of his career. Shawn Marion had 10 points off the bench in the recent defeat.

Milwaukee has lost two in a row and five of its last seven games, including Tuesday’s 90-77 setback in Chicago.

John Salmons scored 18 points and Luc Mbah a Moute added 12 points and 10 rebounds in defeat. Corey Maggette finished with 15 points off the bench.

“We played well at times but had nothing offensively. We got to the line a lot up until halftime and that, with our second-chance points, kept us in it,” said Bucks coach Scott Skiles, whose squad made just 32 percent from the floor. “We came back and got the lead but just couldn’t keep it. Turnovers came at poor times. When we were building momentum we would miss a shot or turn it over and that hurt us.”

Andre Bogut grabbed a game-best 16 rebounds to go with four points, as Milwaukee posted a 51-42 rebounding advantage. The Bucks have dropped two in a row at home and are 7-7 at the Bradley Center this season. They have held 11 of the last 12 opponents under 100 points, going 6-6 in that span. Bucks guard Earl Boykins is eligible to return from a one-game suspension for making intentional contact with a game official in a loss versus Atlanta on Monday.

Saturday’s game marks only the second time in franchise history that the Bucks have played on New Year’s Day. The last time was on Jan. 1, 1973, when the Bucks dropped an 88-87 decision to Baltimore at the Milwaukee Arena.

The Bucks defeated the Mavs, 103-99, on Dec. 13 this season in Big D behind 23 points, 10 assists and five rebounds from Brandon Jennings. Dallas has still won three of four and 13 of the past 21 matchups between the teams. Dallas has lost 17 of its last 21 at Milwaukee and is 6-23 as the guest in this series.

© 2010 The Sports Network

Earl Boykins(notes) may be a journeyman guard, but he is more than keeping the Milwaukee Bucks afloat during the extended absence of Brandon Jennings(notes).

Boykins looks for another big effort as the Bucks seek a third consecutive win Monday night at home against the Atlanta Hawks.

Milwaukee (12-16) appeared to be in serious trouble when Jennings was ruled out for up to six weeks after undergoing foot surgery last Monday. The injury left the Bucks without their point guard and team leader with averages of 17.9 points and 5.5 assists.

A 12-year veteran who has played for nine teams, the 5-foot-5 Boykins has softened the blow of Jennings’ absence with a sudden increase in scoring and playing time. He’s helped Milwaukee in position for its third three-game winning streak of the season.

Boykins scored 19 points while playing a season-high 29:03 in an 84-79 victory at Sacramento on Thursday. That performance came two nights after he had a season-best 22 points in a stunning 98-79 upset of the two-time reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.

He totaled 53 points over his first 16 games of 2010-11, while never taking more than eight shots.

“My teammates have confidence in me. They were willing to give me the ball,” Boykins said after going 9 for 17 from the field Thursday. “They were setting great screens for me and that’s how I was getting open. Coach is going to play guys who are playing well. I just happened to be playing well, but the difference was defense.”

The Bucks, allowing 92.6 points per game, rank among the NBA’s top best defensive teams. However, that success has been undermined by scoring a league-low 91.2 points per contest. Milwaukee is 1-6 when opponents top 100 points.

With Jennings out for an extended period, the Bucks are hoping Corey Maggette(notes) (concussion-like symptoms) and Drew Gooden(notes) (plantar faciitis) can return from injuries after missing three and two games, respectively.

Maggette made 7 of 8 shots for 20 points while Boykins had seven in a 108-91 win at Atlanta on Nov. 10.

The Hawks have dropped their last five road games, including an 93-86 loss to New Orleans on Sunday to open a stretch of six games out of seven away from home.

Atlanta last lost six consecutive road games March 17-April 7, which included a 98-95 defeat at Milwaukee on March 22. The Hawks won 104-96 in their last visit to the Bradley Center on April 12.

A better performance from Al Horford(notes) would help Atlanta’s cause. Horford, who leads the Hawks with averages of 16.6 points and 9.6 rebounds, struggled to finish with eight points and six boards Sunday against the Hornets.

Horford had 14 points and six rebounds versus Milwaukee last month.

The Portland Trail Blazers will wrap up a three-game homestand tonight versus the Milwaukee Bucks at the Rose Garden.

(Sports Network) – The Portland Trail Blazers will wrap up a three-game homestand tonight versus the Milwaukee Bucks at the Rose Garden.

Portland has won the first two tests on the residency and five straight in the Rose City, including Saturday’s 96-95 triumph over the Golden State Warriors. LaMarcus Aldridge posted his third straight double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Andre Miller recorded 17 points, eight assists and four steals for the Blazers, who are 9-3 as the host this season and won for the second straight time since a three-game slide.

Rudy Fernandez had 15 points and both Dante Cunningham and Wesley Matthews registered 13 apiece in the win.

“He’s doing a good job of attacking,” Blazers coach Nate McMillan said of Fernandez. “He needs time to get into rhythm. He likes to play team basketball, which is what you want.”

Blazers All-Star guard Brandon Roy is expected to miss tonight’s game with a knee ailment.

Milwaukee will begin a three-game road trip tonight against the Blazers, Lakers and Kings, and owns a 3-9 mark away from the Bradley Center this season.

The Bucks have lost two in a row since a three-game winning streak and suffered a 95-86 loss versus Utah on Saturday. Andrew Bogut had 19 points and nine rebounds, while John Salmons posted 18 points in a losing cause.

“They took a little bit of momentum into the half and we came out in the second half and didn’t have much,” stated Bucks head coach Scott Skiles. “We got it close and we got some stops, we just couldn’t finish it off with clean rebounds.”

Milwaukee also received some bad news on the injury front. Dynamic second-year point guard Brandon Jennings suffered a fracture of the fifth metatarsal of his left foot against the Jazz and underwent surgery Monday afternoon. Jennings is expected to miss four to six weeks of action and will be evaluated throughout his recovery.

Portland defeated the Bucks, 90-76, back on Nov. 2 this season at the Bradley Center and has won 10 of the previous 14 matchups in this series. Milwaukee has lost four straight and five of its last six games in the Rose City.

© 2010 The Sports Network