It might not have been the most technically sound basketball ever, but ladies and gentleman, we had NBA players competing against one another in the Bay Area over the weekend.

Don’t get too excited, though. The NBA lockout is still in full swing.

The players here came together for a charity game organized by Milwaukee Bucks forward Drew Gooden, a Bay Area native who at halftime presented a $10,000 check to the event’s beneficiary, the greater Bay Area chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

As things usually go in exhibition games, there was very little defense played, but a whole lot of offense going on. As such, the small crowd hovering around the court at the Cow Palace on Sunday night was treated to a collection of soaring dunks and some deep 3-pointers.

Some of the most recognizable faces playing in the game included the Warriors’ Dorell Wright, James Harden of the Thunder, Joakim Noah of the Bulls, the Timberwolves’ Ricky Rubio, Shawn Marion of the Mavericks and high-flying Raptors’ star Demar DeRozan (who provided a number of dunk-contest-worthy slams throughout the game).

Off the court, rappers Mistah F.A.B., LoveRance and Big Rich were all courtside, while DJ Rick Lee of KMEL was spinning music for the crowd — as he did during Matt Barnes’ “We Believe” charity game at San Jose State in
October.

The score of the game didn’t really matter, as the White team led by Wright beat the Red team led by Gooden 117-92. The most exciting moment of the game might not have came during regulation at all, but during halftime.

After Gooden had signed and presented the check to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and a young cancer survivor by the name of Shelby had sung Journey’s “Lights,” everybody settled into their seats.

Gooden took a ball and walked toward one of the court’s hoops, but had his sights set on the hoop at the far end more than 90 feet away. Without hesitating or putting much effort into it, Gooden heaved a full-court shot, making a wish as he let go. It went in.

TORONTO (AP)—

Finally healthy after long absences, Drew Gooden and Michael Redd are giving the Milwaukee Bucks a big boost in their chase for a playoff berth.

Brandon Jennings scored 25 points, Gooden and Andrew Bogut each had double-doubles and the Bucks beat the Toronto Raptors 104-98 Wednesday night.

“The guy that hurt us was Gooden,” Raptors coach Jay Triano said. “When he came in he made jump shots against our second unit and that hurt us.”

Gooden had 22 points and 11 rebounds and Bogut had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who had lost three of their previous four games. Carlos Delfino added 14 points for Milwaukee.

“Drew is a big part of this team,” Jennings said. “He’s a great rebounder and he’s a great screen-and-pop shooter. When he’s out there making shots, it opens up the offense a lot.”

The Bucks are three games behind Indiana for the final playoff spot in the East. Milwaukee, which has eight games left to play, visits Indiana on Friday night.

“This is probably do or die for us,” Bogut said. “This game is everything for us and probably everything for them, too.”

Jennings agreed with Bogut’s assessment of the looming matchup with the Pacers, who beat Detroit on Wednesday.

“This might be the biggest game of the season for us,” he said.

Gooden and Redd returned from injury in Monday’s one-point loss at Charlotte. Redd had missed 14 months after two knee surgeries, while Gooden had not played since Jan. 21 with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

“You can say it’s similar to making a trade and having two guys come in, but we didn’t trade anybody,” Gooden said. “It’s a plus for us to be healthy right now and contributing down the stretch.”

The strain of an extended spell on the sidelines showed in Gooden’s performance against Charlotte, when he missed five of six shots. He was more comfortable against Toronto, making his first five attempts.

“Even though we didn’t win against Charlotte, to have an opportunity to go out there and play really eased a lot of pressure off my shoulders,” Gooden said.

Held scoreless in Charlotte, Redd finished with five points in eight minutes, notching his first points since Jan. 8, 2010, on a second quarter 3-pointer.

“He got a real good look at the 3 and put it right in the middle,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles said.

Andrea Bargnani scored 22 points and DeMar DeRozan had 20 for the Raptors, who lost their fifth straight. Leandro Barbosa had 18 points and Jose Calderon scored 13 before leaving with a sore left hamstring.

Bargnani (right ankle) and Reggie Evans (right foot) returned to Toronto’s lineup after sitting out Saturday’s road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Bucks led 85-80 with 7:19 remaining, but DeRozan made two free throws and a jump shot and Bargnani added a driving layup to put the Raptors up 88-87 with 4:49 left.

Delfino answered with a 3-pointer and Gooden drained two from the line to give Milwaukee a 92-88 lead with 2:50 to go.

Toronto twice cut the deficit in half on reverse layups from Jerryd Bayless and Barbosa, but a hook shot by Bogut and a jumper from Gooden put Milwaukee up 98-92 with 43 seconds left, and the Bucks sealed victory at the free-throw line.

The Raptors started hot, making 10 of their first 11 shots to open a 24-12 lead. But Toronto made just two more field goals in the final four minutes of the quarter as Milwaukee closed the gap to 28-22 after one.

Jennings scored eight points in the second and Earl Boykins had seven as the Bucks rallied to take a 52-49 lead at the half.

Bargnani scored 12 points in the third and Evans made a layup with 4 seconds left in the quarter to tie it at 76 heading to the fourth.

Notes: The Bucks won for the first time this season when their opponent shot better than 50 per cent. … Toronto’s James Johnson added a career-high 10 rebounds. … Bayless was called for a flagrant foul after shoving Milwaukee’s Jon Brockman into the stanchion on a fast break in the second. Brockman shot his free throws before leaving with an injured left shoulder. … Skiles said he’s been asked to limit Redd to single digits in minutes as he gets back in game shape. Redd played 15 minutes Monday. … Canadian ATP tennis player Milos Raonic attended the game.

TORONTO – Drew Gooden’s return from a 30-game fight with a left foot ailment could be the shot in the arm the Milwaukee Bucks need for their desperate playoff push.

Gooden scored 22 points off the bench and added 11 rebounds in his second game back from his lengthy layoff as the Bucks beat the Toronto Raptors 104-98 Wednesday.

The Raptors were unable to play spoiler, with the Bucks (30-45) badly needing to win to keep three games back of eighth-place Indiana in the Eastern Conference.

Brandon Jennings scored 25 points and added seven assists for the Bucks, while Andrew Bogut added 17 points and 10 rebounds.

“Drew is a big part of this team,” Jennings said of his teammate, who hadn’t played since Jan. 21 because of plantar fasciitis. “He is a great rebounder and he is a great screen and pop shooter. When he is out there making shots it just opens up the offence for a lot of us.”

Andrea Bargnani scored 22 points, returning to the Raptors line up after missing their last game with a sore right ankle. DeMar DeRozan added 20 points for the Raptors (20-54), who have lost five straight coming off a Western Conference road trip where they went 1-4.

The Raptors didn’t have any answers as the Bucks beat them from the perimeter shooting 47 per cent from the three point line and inside, scoring 38 points in the paint.

“I thought the guy that hurt us was Gooden,” said Raptors coach Jay Triano. “When he came in he made jump shots against our second unit and that hurt us.”

In a hotly contested fourth quarter with the teams trading baskets, Gooden scored 12 points and eight rebounds. He followed up a key offensive tip-in with a 21-foot jump shot from the corner with 43 seconds, giving Milwaukee a 98-92 lead.

Leandro Barbosa responded with a 24-foot jump shot to bring the game within four points with 27.6 seconds left. Jennings made both free throws after being fouled on the subsequent inbound play extending the Bucks lead to 100-94.

DeRozan’s slashing lay up with 20 seconds was followed by two free throws by Gooden making the score 102-96 with 17.5 seconds left.

Barbosa’s three-point attempt with 11 seconds left fell short, hitting the front of the rim. Gooden finished the game off with another pair of free throws.

Bargnani scored 12 points in the third quarter, helping the Raptors keep pace, despite Jennings and Bogut each scoring eight for the Bucks.

DeRozan hit back-to-back pull-up jumpers to give the Raptors a 72-71 lead with 2:27 left in the quarter. On the Raptors last possession, Barbosa’s penetration led to an assist on a Reggie Evans lay up with 3.8 seconds left tying the game 76-76 at the end of the quarter.

Milwaukee started the second quarter on a 11-3 run, with the point guard tandem of Jennings and Earl Boykins scoring 15 points and seven assists in the quarter. Eight team turnovers by the Raptors helped the Bucks to a 52-49 lead going into halftime.

After starting the game shooting 11 of 13 from the field the Raptors cooled off taking a 28-22 lead into the second quarter.

Notes: Raptors next game is at Chicago on Saturday. … Raptors James Johnson’s 10 rebounds were a career-high. … Reggie Evans returned to the Raptors line up after missing his last game with a sore right foot … Michael Redd of Milwaukee played in his second game of the season. …. The Raptors were missing Linas Kleiza (right knee surgery) and the Bucks were without Ersan Ilyasova (Concussion). … Jon Brockman left the game in the second quarter with a left shoulder injury.

TORONTO – Finally healthy after long absences, Drew Gooden and Michael Redd are giving the Milwaukee Bucks a big boost in their chase for a playoff berth.

Brandon Jennings scored 25 points, Gooden and Andrew Bogut each had double-doubles and the Bucks beat the Toronto Raptors 104-98 Wednesday night.

“The guy that hurt us was Gooden,” Raptors coach Jay Triano said. “When he came in he made jump shots against our second unit and that hurt us.”

Gooden had 22 points and 11 rebounds and Bogut had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who had lost three of their previous four games. Carlos Delfino added 14 points for Milwaukee.

“Drew is a big part of this team,” Jennings said. “He’s a great rebounder and he’s a great screen-and-pop shooter. When he’s out there making shots, it opens up the offense a lot.”

The Bucks are three games behind Indiana for the final playoff spot in the East. Milwaukee, which has eight games left to play, visits Indiana on Friday night.

“This is probably do or die for us,” Bogut said. “This game is everything for us and probably everything for them, too.”

Jennings agreed with Bogut’s assessment of the looming matchup with the Pacers, who beat Detroit on Wednesday.

“This might be the biggest game of the season for us,” he said.

Gooden and Redd returned from injury in Monday’s one-point loss at Charlotte. Redd had missed 14 months after two knee surgeries, while Gooden had not played since Jan. 21 with plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

“You can say it’s similar to making a trade and having two guys come in, but we didn’t trade anybody,” Gooden said. “It’s a plus for us to be healthy right now and contributing down the stretch.”

The strain of an extended spell on the sidelines showed in Gooden’s performance against Charlotte, when he missed five of six shots. He was more comfortable against Toronto, making his first five attempts.

“Even though we didn’t win against Charlotte, to have an opportunity to go out there and play really eased a lot of pressure off my shoulders,” Gooden said.

Held scoreless in Charlotte, Redd finished with five points in eight minutes, notching his first points since Jan. 8, 2010, on a second quarter 3-pointer.

“He got a real good look at the 3 and put it right in the middle,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles said.

Andrea Bargnani scored 22 points and DeMar DeRozan had 20 for the Raptors, who lost their fifth straight. Leandro Barbosa had 18 points and Jose Calderon scored 13 before leaving with a sore left hamstring.

Bargnani (right ankle) and Reggie Evans (right foot) returned to Toronto’s lineup after sitting out Saturday’s road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Bucks led 85-80 with 7:19 remaining, but DeRozan made two free throws and a jump shot and Bargnani added a driving layup to put the Raptors up 88-87 with 4:49 left.

Delfino answered with a 3-pointer and Gooden drained two from the line to give Milwaukee a 92-88 lead with 2:50 to go.

Toronto twice cut the deficit in half on reverse layups from Jerryd Bayless and Barbosa, but a hook shot by Bogut and a jumper from Gooden put Milwaukee up 98-92 with 43 seconds left, and the Bucks sealed victory at the free-throw line.

The Raptors started hot, making 10 of their first 11 shots to open a 24-12 lead. But Toronto made just two more field goals in the final four minutes of the quarter as Milwaukee closed the gap to 28-22 after one.

Jennings scored eight points in the second and Earl Boykins had seven as the Bucks rallied to take a 52-49 lead at the half.

Bargnani scored 12 points in the third and Evans made a layup with 4 seconds left in the quarter to tie it at 76 heading to the fourth.

Notes: The Bucks won for the first time this season when their opponent shot better than 50 per cent. … Toronto’s James Johnson added a career-high 10 rebounds. … Bayless was called for a flagrant foul after shoving Milwaukee’s Jon Brockman into the stanchion on a fast break in the second. Brockman shot his free throws before leaving with an injured left shoulder. … Skiles said he’s been asked to limit Redd to single digits in minutes as he gets back in game shape. Redd played 15 minutes Monday. … Canadian ATP tennis player Milos Raonic attended the game.

THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO — Drew Gooden’s return from a 30-game fight with a left foot ailment could be the shot in the arm the Milwaukee Bucks need for their desperate playoff push.

Gooden scored 22 points off the bench and added 11 rebounds in his second game back from his lengthy layoff as the Bucks beat the Toronto Raptors 104-98 Wednesday.

The Raptors were unable to play spoiler, with the Bucks (30-45) badly needing to win to keep three games back of eighth-place Indiana in the Eastern Conference.

Brandon Jennings scored 25 points and added seven assists for the Bucks, while Andrew Bogut added 17 points and 10 rebounds.

“Drew is a big part of this team,” Jennings said of his teammate, who hadn’t played since Jan. 21 because of plantar fasciitis. “He is a great rebounder and he is a great screen and pop shooter. When he is out there making shots it just opens up the offence for a lot of us.”

Andrea Bargnani scored 22 points, returning to the Raptors line up after missing their last game with a sore right ankle. DeMar DeRozan added 20 points for the Raptors (20-54), who have lost five straight coming off a Western Conference road trip where they went 1-4.

The Raptors didn’t have any answers as the Bucks beat them from the perimeter shooting 47 per cent from the three point line and inside, scoring 38 points in the paint.

“I thought the guy that hurt us was Gooden,” said Raptors coach Jay Triano. “When he came in he made jump shots against our second unit and that hurt us.”

In a hotly contested fourth quarter with the teams trading baskets, Gooden scored 12 points and eight rebounds. He followed up a key offensive tip-in with a 21-foot jump shot from the corner with 43 seconds, giving Milwaukee a 98-92 lead.

Leandro Barbosa responded with a 24-foot jump shot to bring the game within four points with 27.6 seconds left. Jennings made both free throws after being fouled on the subsequent inbound play extending the Bucks lead to 100-94.

DeRozan’s slashing lay up with 20 seconds was followed by two free throws by Gooden making the score 102-96 with 17.5 seconds left.

Barbosa’s three-point attempt with 11 seconds left fell short, hitting the front of the rim. Gooden finished the game off with another pair of free throws.

Bargnani scored 12 points in the third quarter, helping the Raptors keep pace, despite Jennings and Bogut each scoring eight for the Bucks.

DeRozan hit back-to-back pull-up jumpers to give the Raptors a 72-71 lead with 2:27 left in the quarter. On the Raptors last possession, Barbosa’s penetration led to an assist on a Reggie Evans lay up with 3.8 seconds left tying the game 76-76 at the end of the quarter.

Milwaukee started the second quarter on a 11-3 run, with the point guard tandem of Jennings and Earl Boykins scoring 15 points and seven assists in the quarter. Eight team turnovers by the Raptors helped the Bucks to a 52-49 lead going into halftime.

After starting the game shooting 11 of 13 from the field the Raptors cooled off taking a 28-22 lead into the second quarter.

Notes: Raptors next game is at Chicago on Saturday. … Raptors James Johnson’s 10 rebounds were a career-high. … Reggie Evans returned to the Raptors line up after missing his last game with a sore right foot … Michael Redd of Milwaukee played in his second game of the season. …. The Raptors were missing Linas Kleiza (right knee surgery) and the Bucks were without Ersan Ilyasova (Concussion). … Jon Brockman left the game in the second quarter with a left shoulder injury.