MILWAUKEE (AP) —

The Phoenix Suns used a blistering 19-0 run in the third quarter to flip a deficit into a big lead in a 102-88 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.

The Suns are chasing Memphis for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and are just a half-game back after winning 12 of their last 16. It appeared they might not keep pace, though, after a lackadaisical first half and an eight-point deficit early in the third quarter.

But Frye converted a three-point play to spark 12 points in a span of 1:38 that the Suns stretched to 19 in a row.

Corey Maggette scored 21 points for the Bucks, who were missing four regulars, including center Andrew Bogut due to injuries or illness.

Mickael Pietrus scored 20 points, Grant Hill added 14 and Steve Nash had 13 assists for Phoenix, which lost at Boston on Wednesday and was without Vince Carter after lingering dizziness following a collision with Frye against the Celtics.

But the Suns (32-28) haven’t lost two in a row since a three-game skid that ended Jan. 26 as they’ve climbed back into the Western Conference race by scoring at will.

Phoenix extended its streak of at least 100 points to a season-best nine straight games.

This was a familiar feeling for the slumping Bucks, who had been looking to win two in a row for the first time since January. Milwaukee, the lowest-scoring, worst-shooting team in the NBA went cold during the Suns’ big run despite 16 points from Brandon Jennings and 14 from Earl Boykins.

After John Salmons made a tough layup in the paint that gave Milwaukee a 53-45 lead, the Bucks fell apart.

Frye converted a three-point play, Robin Lopez hit a jumper, Frye made a 3, Lopez hit a free throw and Pietrus added another 3 to make it 57-53 over the stretch of 1 minute, 38 seconds.

The Suns weren’t done. Hill hit a jumper, Pietrus added another and Hill made a 3 that capped the run and gave Phoenix a 64-53 lead.

After Maggette’s free throws snapped a scoreless stretch of nearly 5½ minutes, Nash and Hill hit 3s and Pietrus and Marcin Gortat each had three-point plays that extended it to 76-59 late in the quarter.

Phoenix finished 11 of 18 from the field and hit their first five 3-point attempts to outscore Milwaukee 31-15 in the third quarter. The Bucks never got closer than nine in the fourth quarter.

Milwaukee (23-37) fell to 4-11 in its last 15 even as coach Scott Skiles acknowledged the Bucks entered play Friday night just three games down in the loss column from the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot.

The Bucks haven’t been able to stay healthy this year. Against Phoenix, they were without Bogut (strained left side), Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (flu), Ersan Ilyasova (concussion) and Drew Gooden (left foot).

Notes: Nash had seven turnovers in the first half and zero in the second. … Frye scored Phoenix’s first nine points of the game and finished the first quarter with 11. He surpassed his season average of 12.2 with a 3-pointer midway through the second. … Phoenix has won nine of the last 10 against the Bucks, and 35 of the last 40 in the series.

MILWAUKEE (AP) —

Carlos Delfino scored 21 of his 26 points in the second half and made a career-high seven 3-pointers to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 102-78 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.

Everyone pitched in for the short-handed Bucks, who came in losers of seven of the last eight.

John Salmons added 16 points and tied a career-high with 12 assists for Milwaukee, Brandon Jennings scored 20 points to match his best performance since returning from surgery and Luc Mbah a Moute finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Mbah a Moute did an admirable job trying to slow Clippers’ star Blake Griffin, who still finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.

The Clippers are 1-6 on this marathon 11-game, 21-day road trip that encompasses the Grammys and the All-Star break.

Delfino hit five of Milwaukee’s six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, including three in a 4-minute stretch as the Bucks used a 14-1 run to take an 85-68 lead. The Bucks shot 11 of 26 from 3-point range and Delfino hit 7 of his 10 attempts from beyond the arc.

The Bucks continue to be hampered by injuries and were without Corey Maggette (back) and Drew Gooden (left foot). They lost Ersan Ilyasova (right eye) early in the first quarter.

Jennings didn’t escape unscathed either. He sported a large bandage above his right eye in the third quarter after apparently getting scratched.

Still, Milwaukee blistered the Clippers down the stretch even without Andrew Bogut, who finished with 10 points but fouled out early in the fourth quarter.

Baron Davis scored 22 points and Randy Foye finished with 16 for the Clippers, who fell to 4-21 on the road this season. Both Griffin and Davis provided plenty of highlights.

Griffin hardly flinched when the 6-foot-1, 169-pound Jennings tried to block a dunk attempt on what turned into a three-point play, but Los Angeles failed to extend a 58-57 lead following a layup by Foye.

Jennings was a catalyst.

On one play, Jennings found Mbah a Moute, who flipped a pass around Griffin to Bogut for an emphatic slam that made it 43-30 late in the first half. The crowd booed loudly just before halftime when the Clippers got out on a 2-on-0 fastbreak and Foye took an uncontested layup instead of giving the ball to Griffin for a potential dunk.

But Griffin gave a crowd eager to see his high-flying abilities a show in the final minute when Davis lobbed a half-court alley-oop pass to the former No. 1 overall pick, who slammed it over a helpless Delfino.

Notes: Ilyasova left after being hit in the right eye early in the first quarter. He did not return. … Jennings scored 11 points in the first quarter and Davis had 11 in the second.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis Grizzlies weathered Corey Maggette’s third-quarter scoring barrage and stayed on pace in the Western Conference playoff race.

Mike Conley had 23 points, including a key three-pointer with 1:12 left, and eight assists as the Grizzlies beat the Milwaukee Bucks 89-86 on Friday night.

Sam Young finished with 19 points and a career-high eight rebounds as Memphis gave coach Lionel Hollins his 100th victory. Memphis stayed a game behind Portland for eighth place in the Western Conference playoff race.

“The win shows how deep this team is,” Conley said. “We have a lot of guys who can step up to the occasion and take a different role.”

Rudy Gay had 14 points and 10 rebounds, Darrell Arthur added 12 points and Tony Allen 10 as Memphis played without leading scorer and rebounder Zach Randolph, who suffered a sprained right ankle near the end of the Grizzlies’ 105-101 overtime victory at Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.

Memphis had to overcome Maggette scoring 20 of his 22 points in the third quarter to capture the victory. Maggette was six-of-nine in the period, including four- of-six outside the arc, putting Milwaukee up by as much as 11.

“When you hit the first one, then you hit the second one, then the third one is kind of like a heat check, and you go from there,” Maggette said. “The team was putting me in position to make shots.”

John Salmons had 18 points and Brandon Jennings finished with 16 points for the Bucks.

The Bucks got no closer than three down the stretch as Memphis hit seven of its eight free throws in the final 19.6 seconds, sending the Bucks to their sixth loss in seven games.

“We couldn’t get stops down the stretch,” Salmons said.

The Lead: You could see this one coming. The Milwaukee Bucks entered the game 29th in offensive efficiency and were facing a Grizzlies team currently ranked 9th in defensive efficiency and moving up. Meanwhile, the Bucks were 6th in defensive efficiency and were getting a Grizzlies offense ranked 20th on the season and coming into this game without O.J. Mayo (league suspension) and Zach Randolph (nursing a sore ankle) and with Rudy Gay gutting his way through multiple injuries.

Given all that, this was shaping up to be a low-scoring muddle of a game, and that’s exactly what it was.

Other than an unlikely third-quarter explosion from Corey Maggette, who scored 20 points in the quarter on 4-4 three-point shooting (he’s a career 32% shooter from distance), the Bucks could never get anything going offensively. But that one little run of shot-making was enough to make this a competitive game as the Grizzlies own offense was searching for scoring options for much of the game: Mike Conley and Darrell Arthur, suddenly the primary shot creators, combined to shoot 4-17 in the first half. Back-up point guards Greivis Vasquez and a debuting Jason Williams created exactly zero points in a combined 11 minutes.

Rudy Gay delivered an admirably effective 14 points (5-11 shooting) and 3 assists in nearly 40 minutes, but you could tell early on that he was severely limited. In the first quarter, he finished a play on the block with a soft lay-up that would normally be a dunk, and with a reasonably clear angle to the basket on a 2-on-1 break, he gave the ball to Conley instead. Gay was clearly trying to pick his spots, but when the team ran a few isolation plays for him down the stretch, he struggled with turnovers.

Ultimately, good defense, a spark of energy from Tony Allen, and a bounce-back second half from Mike Conley was enough to polish off a bad Bucks team. But I don’t think the Grizzlies could be this limited against better Denver and Philadelphia teams on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively, and hope to win.

Man of the Match: Rudy Gay played more minutes with better results than could have reasonably been expected. Tony Allen gave the team a spark. And Sam Young was the only truly efficient offensive player on the court for the Grizzlies with 19 points on 7-10 shooting. But this has to go to Mike Conley, who rebounded from a bad first half with a really good second half: 17 points on 6-11 shooting (including 3-4 from long-range), 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 turnover.

Conley, who has had his problems in the clutch this season, also made a series of big plays late to seal the win. With the game tied 77-77 at the two-minute mark, Conley got a steal off John Salmons that he turned into a two-on-one break that he finished by setting up Tony Allen for the go-ahead dunk. On the next offensive possession, Conley nailed a corner three off a Rudy Gay feed to put the Grizzlies up 82-77. A couple of possessions later, Conley bottled up Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings, forcing him deep into shot clock and generating a steal. Sure, Conley missed both subsequent free throws, which would have effectively ended the game, but he did come back to hit two from the line a few seconds later.

Clutch has been a problem for Conley this season: His free-throw percentage has dropped from 76% overall to 61% in “clutch” situations (as defined by 82games.com), while his turnover rate has gone up. But despite the free-throw misses late tonight, Conley stepped up and made a lot of big, winning plays when the team didn’t really have many other options.

Nightly Number: Even without Zach Randolph in the lineup, the Grizzlies managed to out-rebound the Bucks overall (45-44) while holding them even on the offensive boards despite the Bucks missing more shots. And it was a team effort. Among the bigs, Darrell Arthur and Marc Gasol had 8 rebounds each, while Hamed Haddadi came off the bench get corral 4 boards (and block two shots) in eight minutes. But the big help came from the perimeter starters, who all chipped in with better than normal numbers: Five from Conley, a career-high 8 from Sam Young, and a team-high 10 from Rudy Gay. For Gay, this has been a recent trend, as he’s averaged 10 rebounds a game over the past four games.

The Match-Up: Marc Gasol had perhaps his best game of the season at Milwaukee last month, with 24 points and 16 rebound. He didn’t fare so well tonight (9 points, 8 boards, 2 blocks), but played Bucks center Andrew Bogut essentially even overall, as each player struggled with the other’s physical play.

The Jacob Riis Report:I didn’t think much of this Bucks team to start the season mostly because I disapproved of off-season moves that invested multi-year money in proven non-difference-makers Corey Maggette and Drew Gooden. But what I didn’t see coming was a lack of progression from second-year point guard Brandon Jennings, who has missed 20 games to injury this season, but has also been pretty erratic when he has played. Jennings looked pretty ordinary tonight. He jacked up shots (6-17), but didn’t really put his stamp on the game.

Tweet O’ the Game: I really wanted to see Hasheem and DeMarre on the court at the same time so I wouldn’t feel so silly wearing all this Dakota Wizards gear. — @RTSBlog

Arena Action: The Grizzlies brought back past dance-team members for some 10th-anniversary mega-cheerleader action.

Where They Stand: The win moves the Grizzlies to 29-26, still in 9th place, still a game behind a Portland Trailblazers team that just refuses to fade.

Looking Ahead: The Grizzlies host the Denver Nuggets on Sunday for an early game — 5 p.m. tip. Carmelo Anthony should be in the building for the Nuggets, who keep refusing to trade him.

Announced Attendance: 14,749. More paid no-shows than usual, apparently. Not a good crowd for Friday night game in the middle of an emerging playoff race. Also, not really a good game.

Deflections:

Check the highlights for a brutal Sam Young dunk on Andrew Bogut.

Jason Williams looked extremely rusty in his debut, but given how up-and-down Greivis Vasquez has been, I’d expect he’ll get plenty of opportunities to push his way into the rotation.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Mike Conley had 23 points, including a key 3-pointer with 1:12 left, and eight assists as the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Milwaukee Bucks 89-86 on Friday night.

Sam Young finished with 19 points and a career-high eight rebounds as Memphis gave coach Lionel Hollins his 100th victory. Rudy Gay had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Darrell Arthur added 12 points. Tony Allen scored 10.

Corey Maggette led the Bucks with 22 points, including 20 in the third quarter to help Milwaukee erase a first-half deficit. John Salmons had 18 points and six assists, while Brandon Jennings finished with 16 points.

Conley’s 3-pointer with the shot clock running down capped five unanswered points for Memphis, breaking a 77-all tie with 2:58 left.

The Bucks got no closer than three down the stretch as Memphis hit seven of its eight free throws in the final 19.6 seconds, sending the Bucks to their sixth loss in seven games.

It was the Grizzlies’ second consecutive win, and it stopped a four-game road winning streak for the Bucks in the series.

Memphis stayed a game behind Portland for eighth place in the Western Conference playoff race. The Trail Blazers defeated Toronto 102-96.

Memphis opened the fourth with an 8-2 rally, erasing a 68-63 Milwaukee lead at the end of the third.

The Grizzlies led 45-40 after a sloppy first half. The Bucks shot 35 percent and committed nine turnovers, while Memphis shot 44.4 percent with a handful of miscues.

But the game had little flow at that point, and there were a lot of lineup combinations, leading to sporadic offense. Milwaukee’s starting front line of Maggette, Ersan Ilyasova and Andrew Bogut managed only Bogut’s two points, missing seven of their eight shots in the half.

Bogut ended the game with five points on 2-of-9 shooting.

Young hit all five of his shots in the first half for 13 points to lead Memphis, while Salmons led the Bucks with 10 points.

Memphis led the entire first half, stretching the lead to as many as nine points.

The Bucks immediately erased the Memphis lead in the third quarter with five 3-pointers, including four from long range by Maggette, to comprise a 16-2 run for a 56-47 lead. Milwaukee extended the lead to 11 in the quarter.

Maggette had 20 in the period as the Bucks outscored Memphis 28-18. That gave
Milwaukee its five-point advantage entering the fourth.

Mike Conley had 23 points, including a key 3-pointer with 1:12 left, and eight assists as the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Milwaukee Bucks 89-86 on Friday night.

Sam Young finished with 19 points and a career-high eight rebounds as Memphis gave coach Lionel Hollins his 100th victory. Rudy Gay had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Darrell Arthur added 12 points. Tony Allen scored 10.

Corey Maggette led the Bucks with 22 points, including 20 in the third quarter to help Milwaukee erase a first-half deficit. John Salmons had 18 points and six assists, while Brandon Jennings finished with 16 points.

Conley’s 3-pointer with the shot clock running down capped five unanswered points for Memphis, breaking a 77-all tie with 2:58 left.

The Bucks got no closer than three down the stretch as Memphis hit seven of its eight free throws in the final 19.6 seconds, sending the Bucks to their sixth loss in seven games.

It was the Grizzlies’ second consecutive win, and it stopped a four-game road winning streak for the Bucks in the series.

Memphis stayed a game behind Portland for eighth place in the Western Conference playoff race. The Trail Blazers defeated Toronto 102-96.

Memphis opened the fourth with an 8-2 rally, erasing a 68-63 Milwaukee lead at the end of the third.

The Grizzlies led 45-40 after a sloppy first half. The Bucks shot 35 percent and committed nine turnovers, while Memphis shot 44.4 percent with a handful of miscues.

But the game had little flow at that point, and there were a lot of lineup combinations, leading to sporadic offense. Milwaukee’s starting front line of Maggette, Ersan Ilyasova and Andrew Bogut managed only Bogut’s two points, missing seven of their eight shots in the half.

Bogut ended the game with five points on 2-of-9 shooting.

Young hit all five of his shots in the first half for 13 points to lead Memphis, while Salmons led the Bucks with 10 points.

Memphis led the entire first half, stretching the lead to as many as nine points.

The Bucks immediately erased the Memphis lead in the third quarter with five 3-pointers, including four from long range by Maggette, to comprise a 16-2 run for a 56-47 lead. Milwaukee extended the lead to 11 in the quarter.

Maggette had 20 in the period as the Bucks outscored Memphis 28-18. That gave Milwaukee its five-point advantage entering the fourth.

NOTES: Bucks G-F Chris Douglas-Roberts, who played college ball at Memphis, sat out with an illness. … Maggette entered the game playing well on the road, averaging 15.3 points per game versus 10.5 at home. … Memphis G Jason Williams saw his first action for the Grizzlies after signing earlier this week. He played 4 minutes and did not score.

Grizzlies vs. Milwaukee Bucks

FedExForum, 7 p.m.

TV, radio: SportSouth, WRBO-FM (103.5)

Records: Grizzlies 28-26; Bucks 20-31

Lineups

Grizzlies: Mike Conley, 6-1, Sam Young, 6-6, Rudy Gay, 6-8, Zach Randolph, 6-9, Marc Gasol, 7-1.

Bucks: Brandon Jennings, 6-1, John Salmons, 6-6, Corey Maggette, 6-6, Ersan Ilyasova, 6-10, Andrew Bogut, 7-0.

THE SKINNY

The Griz have won nine of their last 12 games. Griz reserve Tony Allen is averaging 13 points, 61-percent shooting and 2.7 steals in his last three games since being held scoreless Feb. 4 against Cleveland. … Rudy Gay (sprained right big toe) and Zach Randolph (sprained ankle) did not practice Thursday and instead received treatment. But both are expected to play tonight. … For the Bucks, Maggette leads with 17.7 points on 51-percent shooting over the past 15 games. Over the last five contests, Ilysova is third on the team with 12 points per game and leads the team with 9.6 rebounds per game.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS   Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011

WASHINGTON — The Washington Wizards were finally winners again Wednesday night, snapping an eight-game skid with a 100-85 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Rookie John Wall had 15 points, six assists and seven rebounds one night after returning to his old school to watch Kentucky beat Tennessee. Wall left Washington after Tuesday’s practice, sat courtside, got a standing ovation, spoke to the Wildcats in the locker room, flew back home and tucked himself in at his usual wee-hours time.

Brandon Jennings scored 20 points to lead the Bucks, who have lost five of six and fell 2½ games behind the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee was hoping to build some momentum after a home win over Toronto on Tuesday, but, as coach Scott Skiles said before the game: “We haven’t done a good enough job this year of beating teams around or below our own record.”

“We needed this win tonight. It’s important for us to beat these teams that we’re capable of beating,” said Corey Maggette, who scored 10 points. “We took a step back.”

WASHINGTON 100, MILWAUKEE 85

Milwaukee (85)—Maggette 5-12 0-1 10, Ilyasova 4-10 0-0 10, Bogut 6-12 0-3 12, Jennings 9-24 1-2 20, Salmons 6-13 1-1 14, Delfino 4-9 0-0 8, Mbah a Moute 0-1 0-2 0, Brockman 1-1 1-1 3, Dooling 2-5 2-2 6, Boykins 1-1 0-0 2, Douglas-Roberts 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 38-88 5-12 85.

Washington (100)—Lewis 1-5 1-2 3, Blatche 4-10 4-4 12, McGee 6-11 4-4 16, Wall 5-9 4-4 15, Young 10-19 3-3 26, Hinrich 4-11 1-1 10, Seraphin 1-2 0-0 2, Martin 5-8 0-0 15, Booker 0-1 1-2 1, Armstrong 0-0 0-0 0. Totals:36-76 18-20 100.

Milwaukee 19 18 23 25—85

Washington 22 25 30 23—100

Three-point goals—Milwaukee 4-14 (Ilyasova 2-2, Salmons 1-1, Jennings 1-6, Maggette 0-1, Delfino 0-2, Dooling 0-2), Washington 10-16 (Martin 5-7, Young 3-5, Hinrich 1-1, Wall 1-1, Lewis 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Milwaukee 46 (Bogut 11), Washington 53 (McGee 17). Assists—Milwaukee 20 (Dooling, Jennings, Bogut 4), Washington 19 (Wall 6). Total Fouls—Milwaukee 15, Washington 20. Technicals—Milwaukee defensive three second, Blatche.

Attendance—16,108.

WASHINGTON — John Wall took a jet-setter’s trip to Lexington, Ky., and brought home some of that UK winning magic. Nick Young got all flashy with a pair of highlight dunks, and JaVale McGee got the better of his head-to-head with Andrew Bogut.

The Washington Wizards were finally winners again Wednesday night, snapping an eight-game skid with a 100-85 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Wall had 15 points, six assists and seven rebounds one night after returning to his old school to watch Kentucky beat Tennessee.

“Seeing them play hard and seeing them win might have brought some excitement for me today,” Wall said. “I usually go to bed about 2 or 3 (a.m.). I know some people were probably concerned and saying I might be tired or I shouldn’t have went to the game, but I think I got back at a reasonable time.”

Brandon Jennings scored 20 points to lead the Bucks, who have lost five of six and fell 2½ games behind the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee was hoping to build some momentum after a home win over Toronto on Tuesday, but, as coach Scott Skiles said before the game: “We haven’t done a good enough job this year of beating teams around or below our own record.”

“We needed this win tonight. It’s important for us to beat these teams that we’re capable of beating,” said Corey Maggette, who scored 10 points. “We took a step back.”

McGee had his first double-double since Jan. 24, pulling down more rebounds than in his last four games combined (12) and getting in the last word against Bogut. Bogut scored eight of Milwaukee’s first 10 points, but didn’t score again until 2½ minutes to play in the game.

The Bucks were also outrebounded 51-39 and made only five of 12 free throws.

“They pretty much dominated us all over the floor,” Skiles said. “They outrebounded us. They went 10 for 16 from three. We couldn’t get to the line. When we did, we couldn’t make our free throws. We tried to hang in there, but we just couldn’t.”

The Bucks are finally getting healthy after a season filled with injuries, but it’s going to take a while before everyone’s back to form.

“I’m still struggling with my outside shot — no legs, a little bit — but just trying to get to the basket to do what I can,” said Jennings, who was only one-for-six from three-point range in his seventh game back from a broken foot.

Meanwhile, the Wizards were having fun, despite being undermanned in the frontcourt. Even guard Kirk Hinrich had a rare highlight block, rejecting John Salmons’ drive into the seats. Hinrich has only seven blocks on the season.

The Wizards dressed only 10 players, and all the missing notables were forwards: Al Thornton (dislocated right middle finger), Yi Jianlian (sprained left ankle) and Josh Howard (sore left knee). In addition Rashard Lewis played with stiffness in his right knee and scored only three points in 29 minutes.

The Washington Wizards will continue a four-game homestand this evening versus the Milwaukee Bucks from the Verizon Center.

(Sports Network) – The Washington Wizards will continue a four-game homestand this evening versus the Milwaukee Bucks from the Verizon Center.

Home seems to be the only place the Wizards can win, as they are 13-12 in the nation’s capital as opposed to a dreadful 0-25 mark away from DC. However, the Wizards have dropped the first two tests on the residency and are coming off Saturday’s 99-92 loss versus the Atlanta Hawks.

Nick Young scored 21 points and John Wall provided 18 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Wizards, who have lost a season-high eight in a row. Wall had no explanation for the losing streak afterwards.

“The coaches are doing a great job of setting us up and giving us a game plan,” said Wall, who is averaging 13.5 points, 8.5 assists and 5.4 rebounds in his last eight games. “They can’t go out there and play.”

Wall and the Wizards will also host San Antonio on the homestand. Young leads the team with 25 games with 20 or more points, and is averaging 20.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 26 starts this season. He is listed as questionable for tonight with a strained left knee.

The Bucks hope to put the brakes on a three-game road losing streak tonight, when they hit the road for two games against Washington and Memphis. They are 8-19 away from Brew City this season, but ended a four-game slide with Tuesday’s 92-74 triumph at home versus Toronto.

John Salmons scored 17 points and Andrew Bogut posted 14 points, five rebounds and five blocked shots for Milwaukee, which got 10 points and a game-best 14 boards out of Luc Mbah a Moute.

“If we’re going to make a push for the playoffs, we have to start now,” said Salmons. “We have to take care of these home games and win the games we’re supposed to. It’s always one game at time but there is a sense of urgency. We can’t wait any longer. Hopefully, we can get on a roll and win some games.”

Corey Maggette played an instrumental role in the win for the Bucks with 16 points and nine rebounds. Milwaukee is 1 1/2 games off the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.

Milwaukee topped Washington, 100-87, on Jan. 19 this season at the Bradley Center and has won three straight and seven of nine matchups between the teams. These two clubs have split the past 14 contests in DC.

© 2011 The Sports Network

MILWAUKEE — If the Milwaukee Bucks are going to salvage their season and sneak into the playoffs for a second consecutive year, they know the time for a winning streak is now.

“I think there’s definitely a sense of urgency,” John Salmons said after scoring 17 points in the Bucks’ 92-74 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night.

“I think we feel like we definitely have to make a push now. We can’t wait any longer. Hopefully, we can get on a little roll, try to win some games and make it to the playoffs.”

Salmons returned to the starting lineup for the first time in three weeks and went seven-of-18 from the field.

Corey Maggette added 16 points and nine rebounds for Milwaukee, which snapped its four-game losing streak.

“It’s been a tough year for everybody,” Salmons said. “We know one game is not going to do it for us. We know we have to string some along.”

Toronto lost its 10th straight road game. Andrea Bargnani scored 23 points and DeMar DeRozan finished with 18 points and seven rebounds for the Raptors, who were seeking consecutive victories for the first time since Dec. 3.

“It’s a tough season,” Bargnani said. “It didn’t become a tough season today. It’s been that way the last couple of months.”

Toronto, coming off a 111-100 victory over Minnesota on Friday that snapped a 13-game losing streak, got guard Leandro Barbosa back from a right hamstring strain. He played nearly 25 minutes and had eight points.

“It was nice to have him back in the lineup,” Toronto coach Jay Triano said. “He provided an offensive threat with his quickness to the basket. It’s going to take a little bit of time for him to shake the rust off. I was pleased with the way he played the second half.”

Milwaukee used a 14-0 run early in the fourth quarter to pull away.

“The guys executed well and they ran the offense well,” Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles said. “They got open looks. Couldn’t complain about that at all.”

The Bucks were zero-for-10 from three-point range when Salmons started the run with a three for a 71-62 lead with 10:21 left.

“I needed that,” Salmons said.

Salmons, who replaced Carlos Delfino in the starting lineup, came off the bench the previous three games after missing eight games with a right hip injury. He last started on Jan. 17.

“Just got to keep at it,” Salmons said. “I’m just keeping at it. That’s all I can say.”

Delfino added another three-pointer and then capped the run when he hit a one-handed floater in the lane for an 82-62 with 5:46 lead.

Toronto missed nine field goals and had one turnover during Milwaukee’s run.

The Raptors were also held scoreless for six minutes before Trey Johnson’s basket cut the margin to 82-64 with 4:45 remaining.

Andrew Bogut scored 14 points and blocked five shots for Milwaukee.

The Bucks also got 12 points from Brandon Jennings, and 10 points and 14 rebounds from Luc Mbah a Moute.

“It’s much easier when you have four or five guys scoring in double digits,” Bogut said. “When you can be balanced like that, it keeps defenders honest, especially on the pick-and-roll with Brandon or myself. It helps with spacing on the floor.”

Toronto shot 36 percent (31-for-86) and missed all 10 three-point shots.

“A lot of our shots were open shots, but at the same time, they contested and were physical,” Triano said. “Sometimes that takes your confidence away. And when it takes your confidence away, then you have an open shot and you’re thinking about it instead of just knocking it down.”

Notes

Toronto is 0-6 when shooting below 40 percent. The last time Milwaukee lost five straight games was Nov. 16-26. The Raptors are 5-23 on the road and haven’t won an away game since Jan. 5 at Cleveland. Bogut has at least one blocked shot in his last 21 games. He entered the game leading the league with 2.8 blocks per game. Having not played since Friday, Toronto had three straight days without a game for the second time this season.

The Milwaukee Bucks ended their losing streak in time to try and extend one that’s consumed the Washington Wizards for a little more than two weeks.

Looking to win consecutive games for the first time in February, the visiting Bucks try to hand the Wizards a ninth straight defeat Wednesday night.

Milwaukee (20-30) snapped a four-game skid with a 92-74 home win over Toronto on Tuesday. It was the second-fewest points the Bucks have allowed this season.

Sitting 10th in the Eastern Conference and 1 1/2 games out of the final playoff spot, the Bucks believe now is the time to string some victories together if they plan to reach the postseason for the second straight year.

“I think there’s definitely a sense of urgency,” said John Salmons(notes), who scored a team-high 17 points in his first start in three weeks. “I think we feel like we definitely have to make a push now. We can’t wait any longer. Hopefully we can get on a little roll, try to win some games and make it to the playoffs.

“It’s been a tough year for everybody. We know one game is not going to do it for us. We know we have to string some along.”

The Bucks can start with a fourth consecutive victory over the Wizards (13-37), who are mired in their longest losing stretch since a 16-game skid March 3-30. Milwaukee, which has won three of four at Washington, has held the Wizards to 82.7 points per game over the last three meetings.

Washington managed just 38 second-half points in a 100-87 loss at Milwaukee on Jan. 19. Corey Maggette(notes) scored 21 points in that contest for the Bucks, and has averaged 19.6 his last eight games.

Wizards rookie point guard John Wall(notes) had 10 points with 13 assists, but didn’t have to face Bucks star Brandon Jennings(notes), who sat out with a broken foot.

While Jennings looks to play well defensively, the Bucks would like to see his offense improve. The second-year guard has averaged 6.3 points in six games after missing 19 with the injury. He totaled just 33 points in four games against Washington last season.

Wall expects to be ready to go despite injuring his ankle in Saturday’s 99-92 loss to Atlanta. The top overall pick in 2010 remained in the game and finished with 18 points, six assists and six rebounds.

“It was a rough game,” Washington forward JaVale McGee(notes) said.

It’s certainly been rough for the Wizards, who are 0-25 on the road and have allowed an average of 109.3 points during their current eight-game skid.

“(We’re) out there trying to play hard,” McGee said.

Though Washington is 13-12 at home, it will try to avoid a season-high fourth straight defeat at the Verizon Center,

Despite the Wizards’ overall struggles, fourth-year swingman Nick Young(notes) has averaged 22.5 points the last 15 games. That included a 21-point effort against the Bucks last month.

MILWAUKEE (AP) —

John Salmons returned to the starting lineup for the first time in three weeks and scored 17 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 92-74 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night.

Corey Maggette added 16 points and nine rebounds for Milwaukee, which snapped its four-game losing streak.

Toronto lost its 10th straight road game. Andrea Bargnani scored 23 points and DeMar DeRozan Finished with 18 points and seven rebounds for the Raptors, who were seeking consecutive victories for the first time since Dec. 3.

Toronto, coming off a 111-100 victory over Minnesota on Friday that snapped a 13-game losing streak, got guard Leandro Barbosa back from a right hamstring strain. He played nearly 25 minutes and had eight points.

Milwaukee used a 14-0 run early in the fourth quarter to pull away.

The Bucks were 0 for 10 from 3-point range when Salmons started the run with 3 for a 71-62 lead with 10:21 left.

Salmons, who replaced Carlos Delfino in the starting lineup, came off the bench the previous three games after missing eight games with a right hip injury. He last started on Jan. 17.

Delfino added another 3-pointer and then capped the run when he hit a one-handed floater in the lane for an 82-62 with 5:46 lead.

Toronto missed nine field goals and had one turnover during Milwaukee’s run.

The Raptors were also held scoreless for 6 minutes before Trey Johnson’s basket cut the margin to 82-64 with 4:45 remaining.

Andrew Bogut scored 14 points and blocked five shots for Milwaukee.

The Bucks also got 12 points from Brandon Jennings, and 10 points and 14 rebounds from Luc Mbah a Moute.

Toronto shot 36 percent (31 for 86) and missed all 10 3-point shots.

Milwaukee led 40-38 at halftime, but opened the third quarter with an 11-2 run. Salmons’ jumper capped it to give his team a 51-40 lead with 8:42 remaining.

Toronto trimmed the margin to 64-58 on a dunk by DeRozan with 28.9 seconds left.

NOTES: The last time Milwaukee lost five straight games was Nov. 16-26. The Raptors are 5-23 on the road and haven’t won an away game since Jan. 5 at Cleveland. Bogut has at least one blocked shot in his last 21 games. He entered the game leading the league with 2.8 blocks per game. Having not played since Friday, Toronto had three straight days without a game for the second time this season.

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (Sports Network) — John Salmons scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds while Corey Maggette supplied 16 points and nine boards in the Milwaukee Bucks’ 92-74 win over the Toronto Raptors at the Bradley Center.

Andrew Bogut provided 14 points, five caroms and five blocked shots and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute chipped in with 10 points and a game-best 14 rebounds for the Bucks, who halted a four-game slide.

“If we’re going to make a push for the playoffs, we have to start now,” said Salmons. “We have to take care of these home games and win the games we’re supposed to. It’s always one game at time but there is a sense of urgency. We can’t wait any longer. Hopefully, we can get on a roll and win some games.”

Andrea Bargnani notched a game-high 23 points while DeMar DeRozan contributed 18 points and seven boards for the Raptors, who temporarily interrupted a 13- game losing streak in their last game Friday versus Minnesota.

Milwaukee moved out to a 24-17 lead after the first quarter as the Raptors made only 8-of-25 shots from the floor in the opening 12 minutes.

Toronto shaved an eight-point deficit to two on a handful of occasions during the latter half of the second quarter and got the game even 38-38 on a Sonny Weems dunk with a little less than a minute to go.

Bogut’s dunk with 28.8 ticks remaining gave the hosts the lead at the break.

Milwaukee opened the second half with an 11-2 run to forge a 51-40 edge with 8:42 to go in the third quarter.

The difference grew to as many as 12 before the Raptors trimmed their deficit to 66-58 heading into the final stanza.

Salmons and Mbah a Moute combined to score nine during a 16-4 burst to open the fourth quarter that extended the hosts advantage to 82-62 just past the midway point of the period.

Toronto never got closer than 17 the rest of the way and fell to 5-23 on the road this season.

“We just didn’t have enough of our starters play well,” Toronto head coach Jay Triano said about the loss. “We can’t afford to have two or three guys have a subpar game. Our margin for error is very small. They contested shots and were physical and sometimes that takes your confidence away.”

Game Notes

Brandon Jennings added 12 points in the win for the Bucks, who improved to 12-11 at home … Milwaukee made just 2-of-13 three-point tries while Toronto missed all 10 of its attempts from long distance … The Raptors shot 36 per cent overall but did make 12-of-13 foul shots … Jose Calderon added six points, seven assists and four rebounds in defeat.

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