MILWAUKEE (AP) – Brandon Jennings scored 15 of his 22 points in
the second half to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 102-81 victory
over the winless Washington Wizards on Friday night.

Ersan Ilyasova had 16 points, and Carlos Delfino, who missed the
first two games of the season with a sprained right wrist, added 15
off the bench for Milwaukee (2-1). Andrew Bogut had 13 points, 15
rebounds and three blocks.

Jordan Crawford, benched in favor of Nick Young after scoring one
point in a loss at Atlanta on Wednesday, led Washington (0-3) with
24 points. John Wall had six points on 1-of-9 shooting and four
turnovers.

Washington also was called for a technical foul when Roger Mason
Jr., who was not on the active list, checked into the game.

Jennings has scored 22, 24 and 22 points in three games this
season.

The first half went about as badly as it could go for the Wizards -
starting with the technical.

Mason had checked in for Jordan Crawford with 3:27 mark left in the
first quarter and he scored on a baseline jumper seven seconds
later. However, during a timeout at the 2:53 mark, the Wizards were
whistled for the technical. The basket was later taken away from
Mason and credited to Rashard Lewis.

Jennings made the technical free throw to make it 25-18 Milwaukee,
and Ronny Turiaf’s dunk made it 25-20 before the Bucks poured it
on.

Milwaukee outscored the Wizards 40-21 the rest of the half to take
a 65-41 lead. The Bucks, 22nd in the league in field goal
percentage coming in, shot 61.5 percent in the half to Washington’s
34 percent. Young and Wall combined to go 1 for 11 in the first
half.

Washington opened the second half on a 15-4 run, holding Milwaukee
without a field goal for more than five minutes. The Wizards
outscored the Bucks 26-13 in the period and trailed 78-67 after
three quarters.

Crawford had 12 points in the third.

Washington cut it to nine on a dunk by JaVale McGee to open the
fourth, but the Wizards got no closer the rest of the way.

“Right now we should really be 3-0,” Jennings said. “We were up at halftime against Charlotte, and we lost a lead. And tonight we were up (24) at half and let a team come back. That is something we really need to focus on, especially going on a West Coast road trip. On the road in hostile environments you have got to be able to contain the lead and take over.”

Jordan Crawford, benched in favor of Nick Young after scoring one point in a loss at Atlanta on Wednesday, led Washington (0-3) with 24 points. John Wall had six points on 1-of-9 shooting and four turnovers.

Ersan Ilyasova had 16 points, and Carlos Delfino, who missed the first two games of the season with a sprained right wrist, added 15 off the bench for Milwaukee (2-1). Andrew Bogut had 13 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks.

Jennings has scored 22, 24 and 22 points in three games this season.

“He has been very efficient,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. “He is doing a good job in the first half of the games of moving the ball around and seeing people and kind of taking his scoring opportunities as they come. And then as the game has gone on he’s gotten a little more aggressive, especially when we’ve struggled a little bit in those stretches.

“That’s what the good players do.”

The first half went about as badly as it could go for the Wizards – starting with a technical foul called when Roger Mason Jr., who was not on the active list, checked into the game.

Mason had come in for Crawford with 3:27 left in the first quarter and scored on a baseline jumper seven seconds later. However, during a timeout at the 2:53 mark, the Wizards were whistled for the technical. The basket was later taken away from Mason and credited to Rashard Lewis. Jennings made the technical free throw to make it 25-18 Milwaukee, and Ronny Turiaf’s dunk made it 25-20 before the Bucks poured it on.

Wizards coach Flip Saunders took responsibility for Mason being disqualified from the game. The Wizards public relations staff also took the blame.

The NBA provides a roster to teams to circle who will be inactive for each game. The list excluded Mason’s name, and neither Saunders nor the PR staff caught the mistake before sending the final active roster to the league office.

The Bucks statistical staff noticed the mistake when they tried to enter Mason’s basket.

“It’s my fault,” Saunders said. “I didn’t notice it. I take responsibility for that. I thought he would have given us some help.”

Said Mason: “It was just human error. Just a mistake. It happens.”

Milwaukee outscored the Wizards 40-21 the rest of the half to take a 65-41 lead. The Bucks, 22nd in the league in field goal percentage coming in, shot 61.5 percent in the half to Washington’s 34 percent. Young and Wall combined to go 1 for 11 in the first half.

If you had to choose between living in Milwaukee or Turkey, what would you choose?

Ersan Ilyasova wants to choose Turkey, but may not get that option.

Ilyasova is playing for Anadolu Efes in Istanbul during the lockout, although the Bucks have an option on him for the upcoming season and his deal has an NBA opt-out. Which means if the lockout ends he is obligated to go stateside. But Ilyasova doesn’t want to opt out, according to Sportando.

“I want to stay with Anadolu Efes for the whole year. I hope there is a FIBA rule which would allow me to play the season in Turkey and Efes to keep me. We will fight for TBL and Euroleague. Our goal for the season is to reach the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four in Istanbul. We know we are in a very tough group in Euroleague but we have to go step-by-step” said Ilyasova, as reported by Salsabasket.

Ilyasova was a spot starter for the Bucks last season, averaging 25 minutes and 9.5 points per game. He is a solid backup forward that the Bucks could use. And at a very affordable $2.5 million next season the Bucks likely want him back.

FIBA, ball is in your court.

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Bucks are in discussions with franchise icon Sidney Moncrief about returning to the team as an assistant coach, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The person spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity because the deal has not been completed. Moncrief’s potential move was reported by multiple media outlets, including Yahoo Sports and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, earlier Wednesday.

Bucks coach Scott Skiles has an opening on his staff after Kelvin Sampson left to join Kevin McHale as an assistant with the Houston Rockets.

Moncrief played 10 of his 11 NBA seasons in Milwaukee, becoming a leader of the Bucks’ competitive teams in the 1980s. He was a two-time defensive player of the year.

It’s the continuation of an offseason makeover for the Bucks, who shook up their roster after last season’s disappointing 35-47 campaign.

Milwaukee made a three-team trade on draft day, acquiring Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston and Beno Udrih. The Bucks traded away Corey Maggette, John Salmons and the draft rights to Jimmer Fredette.

Milwaukee came away from the draft with a pair of forwards, Tennessee’s Tobias Harris and Wisconsin’s Jon Leuer.

The Bucks are scheduled to start the season at San Antonio on Nov. 2, but the NBA’s lockout could threaten the beginning of the season.

___

Connect with AP Sports Writer Chris Jenkins: http://www.twitter.com/ByChrisJenkins

MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Bucks are in discussions with franchise icon Sidney Moncrief about returning to the team as an assistant coach, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The person spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity because the deal has not been completed. Moncrief’s potential move was reported by multiple media outlets, including Yahoo Sports and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, earlier Wednesday.

Bucks coach Scott Skiles has an opening on his staff after Kelvin Sampson left to join Kevin McHale as an assistant with the Houston Rockets.

Moncrief played 10 of his 11 NBA seasons in Milwaukee, becoming a leader of the Bucks’ competitive teams in the 1980s. He was a two-time defensive player of the year.

It’s the continuation of an offseason makeover for the Bucks, who shook up their roster after last season’s disappointing 35-47 campaign.

Milwaukee made a three-team trade on draft day, acquiring Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston and Beno Udrih. The Bucks traded away Corey Maggette, John Salmons and the draft rights to Jimmer Fredette.

Milwaukee came away from the draft with a pair of forwards, Tennessee’s Tobias Harris and Wisconsin’s Jon Leuer.

The Bucks are scheduled to start the season at San Antonio on Nov. 2, but the NBA’s lockout could threaten the beginning of the season.

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Bucks are in discussions with franchise icon Sidney Moncrief about returning to the team as an assistant coach, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The person spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity because the deal has not been completed. Moncrief’s potential move was reported by multiple media outlets, including Yahoo Sports and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, earlier Wednesday.

Bucks coach Scott Skiles has an opening on his staff after Kelvin Sampson left to join Kevin McHale as an assistant with the Houston Rockets.

Moncrief played 10 of his 11 NBA seasons in Milwaukee, becoming a leader of the Bucks’ competitive teams in the 1980s. He was a two-time defensive player of the year.

It’s the continuation of an offseason makeover for the Bucks, who shook up their roster after last season’s disappointing 35-47 campaign.

Milwaukee made a three-team trade on draft day, acquiring Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston and Beno Udrih. The Bucks traded away Corey Maggette, John Salmons and the draft rights to Jimmer Fredette.

Milwaukee came away from the draft with a pair of forwards, Tennessee’s Tobias Harris and Wisconsin’s Jon Leuer.

The Bucks are scheduled to start the season at San Antonio on Nov. 2, but the NBA’s lockout could threaten the beginning of the season.

___

Connect with AP Sports Writer Chris Jenkins: www.twitter.com/ByChrisJenkins

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks are in discussions with franchise icon Sidney Moncrief about returning to the team as an assistant coach, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The person spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity because the deal has not been completed. Moncrief’s potential move was reported by multiple media outlets, including Yahoo Sports and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, earlier Wednesday.

Bucks coach Scott Skiles has an opening on his staff after Kelvin Sampson left to join Kevin McHale as an assistant with the Houston Rockets.

Moncrief played 10 of his 11 NBA seasons in Milwaukee, becoming a leader of the Bucks’ competitive teams in the 1980s. He was a two-time defensive player of the year.

It’s the continuation of an offseason makeover for the Bucks, who shook up their roster after last season’s disappointing 35-47 campaign.

Milwaukee made a three-team trade on draft day, acquiring Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston and Beno Udrih. The Bucks traded away Corey Maggette, John Salmons and the draft rights to Jimmer Fredette.

Milwaukee came away from the draft with a pair of forwards, Tennessee’s Tobias Harris and Wisconsin’s Jon Leuer.

The Bucks are scheduled to start the season at San Antonio on Nov. 2, but the NBA’s lockout could threaten the beginning of the season.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks are in discussions with franchise icon Sidney Moncrief about returning to the team as an assistant coach, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The person spoke to AP on the condition of anonymity because the deal has not been completed. Moncrief’s potential move was reported by multiple media outlets, including Yahoo Sports and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, earlier Wednesday.

Bucks coach Scott Skiles has an opening on his staff after Kelvin Sampson left to join Kevin McHale as an assistant with the Houston Rockets.

Moncrief played 10 of his 11 NBA seasons in Milwaukee, becoming a leader of the Bucks’ competitive teams in the 1980s. He was a two-time defensive player of the year.

It’s the continuation of an offseason makeover for the Bucks, who shook up their roster after last season’s disappointing 35-47 campaign.

Milwaukee made a three-team trade on draft day, acquiring Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston and Beno Udrih. The Bucks traded away Corey Maggette, John Salmons and the draft rights to Jimmer Fredette.

Milwaukee came away from the draft with a pair of forwards, Tennessee’s Tobias Harris and Wisconsin’s Jon Leuer.

The Bucks are scheduled to start the season at San Antonio on Nov. 2, but the NBA’s lockout could threaten the beginning of the season.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

MILWAUKEE (AP) – The Milwaukee Bucks will host the NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks on Dec. 15 and the Miami Heat on Feb. 15 and March 22 as part of the NBA schedule released Tuesday.

The Bucks’ home opener will be against the New York Knicks on Saturday, Nov. 5 as the first of 17 weekend home games on the 2011-12 schedule.

Milwaukee begins the season on the road for the 27th consecutive year with games against San Antonio on Wednesday, Nov. 2 and Charlotte on Friday, Nov. 4.

The NBA released its schedule despite a current lockout after the league’s collective bargaining agreement expired June 30.

When an NBA team loses 277 games due to injury, as the Milwaukee
Bucks did last season, there is a tendency to write off the season
as an aberration and bring back the same once-promising group for
another try.

However, no matter how short-handed the Bucks were during one of
the more disappointing seasons in their history, no one in good
conscience could blame their fall from Central Division contender
to the NBA draft lottery entirely on injuries.

We all saw enough to know better.

Enough offensive futility. Enough failed chemistry. Enough
bricks to build a new arena in Milwaukee.

When the clanking stopped, the Bucks were the lowest-scoring and
worst-shooting team in the NBA. Too often, shots from the perimeter
weren’t just a lob, they were an adventure.

We dredge up these unpleasant memories because the NBA holds its
draft tonight and the Bucks, by virtue of their 35-47 record, have
the 10th pick in the first round. A glance at the roster shows the
Bucks need a wing scorer, a backup point guard and a backup center,
probably in that order. However, general manager John Hammond is
keeping his options open, at least publicly.

“We haven’t tried to limit ourselves by position,” Hammond said
this week. “We’re still in the decision-making process we’ve been
in, to acquire the best player on the board.”

Hopefully, that’s nothing more than draft-speak because Hammond
should be entering this draft with only one item on his agenda: The
Bucks need a perimeter shooter, and they need one who can play
right now.

They don’t need a big-man project. They don’t need a wing player
who can get to the rim. They don’t even need a defender. They need
someone who can shoot the ball from the outside.

 And since the rest of the team has matured to the point where
it should be a playoff contender for the next few years, they need
a shooter who can contribute immediately.

Hammond has only himself to blame for painting the team into
this corner. After watching the Bucks get to the free-throw line
only on rare occasions during the 2009-10 season, his goal last
year was to add slashers to the offensive mix.

So during the off-season Hammond added Corey Maggette, Chris
Douglas-Roberts and Keyon Dooling on the perimeter. Unfortunately,
none of them proved to be a particularly good outside shooter. And
with Luke Ridnour moving on in free agency, John Salmons having an
off-year shooting and Brandon Jennings making little or no progress
with his shot, the Bucks struggled against defenses that dared them
to shoot from the outside.

Of course, center Andrew Bogut was severely limited by a
surgically repaired right elbow that was slow to heal, but it still
was obvious the Bucks need to spread the floor to make him more
effective on the low block. The only way they can do that is by
surrounding Bogut with shooters, not slashers.

Anything can happen on draft night, including a trade out of the
10th spot, but various predictions have the Bucks selecting from
among the following group at 10: shooting guards Alec Burks of
Colorado, Klay Thompson of Washington State and Marshon Brooks of
Providence; point guard Jimmer Fredette of Brigham Young, small
forward Jordan Hamilton of Texas and power forwards Marcus Morris
of Kansas, Tristan Thompson of Texas and Donatas Motiejunas of
Lithuania.

Some think the athletic Burks will be their pick and others
think a power forward such as Morris or Tristan Thompson could be
the man. But Burks is more of a slasher than a shooter and power
forward became less of a need when the Bucks made a qualifying
offer to restricted free agent Luc Mbah a Moute Tuesday. Motiejunas
is a 7-footer with 3-point range, but he’s a project.

Of the group that could be available to the Bucks, only three —
Thompson, Fredette and Hamilton — shoot the ball with ease from
beyond the 3-point line and appear ready to contribute the minute
they walk onto an NBA floor. Thompson and Hamilton are big enough
to play shooting guard or small forward, which would allow them to
spell Salmons and Carlos Delfino. Fredette might have trouble
guarding anyone but he shoots so well he could be an effective
combo guard off the bench like Ridnour was two seasons ago.

If the Bucks are serious about returning to the playoffs this
season, they will select one of those three shooters with their
first-round pick.

Contact Tom Oates at [email protected] or 608-252-6172.

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 – 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.

(Sports Network) – The pilot light that is a possible playoff berth for the Milwaukee Bucks is still burning, as they resume a three-game road trip tonight against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre.

Milwaukee is aiming for back-to-back appearances in the postseason and is three games behind Indiana for the final berth with Charlotte only a game out of the conference’s eighth seed.

The Bucks have nine games remaining in the regular season and will resume a three-game road trip up north. They opened the trek with Monday’s 87-86 loss in Charlotte, as Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings both finished with 26 points and nine assists.

“This was a game we should have won,” Jennings said. “It was a must-win game. We had chances down the end and we just didn’t make the plays.”

Milwaukee All-Star guard Michael Redd made his season debut after undergoing knee surgery more than a year ago, dishing out four assists in 15-plus minutes of action. Redd appeared in just 18 games during the 2009-10 campaign and 51 games in the previous two seasons.

The Bucks have lost two in a row and six of nine games, and are 10-25 away from Brew City in 2010-11. They will also visit Indiana on the trek.

Toronto is playing out the string and will miss the playoffs for a third consecutive season. It just went 1-4 on a five-game road swing and lost the last four tests of the trek, including Saturday’s 94-90 setback to the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.

Ed Davis had a career-best 21 points to go with 11 rebounds while Jose Calderon chipped in 16 points for the Raptors, who got 14 points apiece from James Johnson and Leandro Barbosa.

“I thought we battled most of the night, but that’s two games in a row that the zone hurt us,” Raptors coach Jay Triano said.

Raptors star forward Andrea Bargnani did not play against the Clippers because of a bone spur in his ankle and is questionable for tonight. Bargnani leads the team with 21.8 ppg this season.

The Raptors are 14-22 in Ontario this season. Forward Reggie Evans (foot) is listed as questionable for Wednesday.

Milwaukee has won two of the first four meetings with Toronto this season and will also host the Raptors on April 11 at the Bradley Center. The Bucks have won six of the previous eight encounters with the Raptors, losers in 12 of the past 18 meetings as the host in this series.

The Sports Network