NBA Game Summary - Chicago at Milwaukee
12.26.2004
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Milwaukee, WI (Basketball News) - Michael Redd scored a season-best 39 points and Milwaukee staved off Chicago’s second-half comeback attempt to post a 99-92 triumph at the Bradley Center.
Joe Smith compiled 21 points and nine rebounds while Desmond Mason added 13 points to help the Bucks put an end to a five-game slide.
Ben Gordon finished with 19 points and Kirk Hinrich contributed 18 along with six assists for the Bulls, who had won five in a row coming in. Eddy Curry chipped in 15 points in the loss, but just three came after halftime.
Chicago has now lost 13 straight in Milwaukee, with their last victory coming on March 29, 1998.
Chicago was down by as many as 18 points in the first half but tied the contest at 80-80 on a Gordon three-pointer with 8:29 to play. Milwaukee would reclaim the lead but failed to pull away as the game entered the final stages, and another trey by Gordon pulled the Bulls within 91-90 with a minute left.
Smith, who also recorded a season-high point total, then hit a short jumper on the ensuing possession to extend the margin to three. After Gordon missed a layup, Redd buried a clutch 13-footer and was fouled with 23 seconds to go. He sank the subsequent free throw for a 96-90 edge.
Hinrich quickly drained a jump shot on the Bulls’ next trip down the court, but Milwaukee hit 3-of-4 attempts from the charity strip in the final seconds to hold on.
Redd poured in an astonishing 20 points in the first quarter as the Bucks built a 12-point lead at the end of the opening 12 minutes. Milwaukee trailed 23-22 before outscoring Chicago 14-1 over the final 3:50 of the period and went ahead 36-24 on Mason’s driving layup with two seconds on the clock.
The Bucks extended their advantage to 18 points when Mason’s bucket at the 9:08 mark of the second quarter made the score 44-26, but the Bulls put together an 11-2 run later in the period to close the gap. Gordon netted six points during the spurt which cut the visitors’ deficit to 53-48 with three minutes left before intermission.
Chicago was still down by five heading into the final minute of the half, but late baskets by Redd and Mason put Milwaukee ahead 61-52 at the break.
The Bucks shot 53 percent in the first half but went cold in the third quarter, and the Bulls took advantage. An 8-1 flurry capped by Luol Deng’s bucket with four minutes left in the third quarter pulled Chicago to within 68-65 and the Bulls outscored Milwaukee 21-15 for the period to trail just 76-73 heading into the final quarter.
