Bucks try to even first-round series with Detroit

(Basketball News) - The Milwaukee Bucks attempt to knot their first-round series with the Detroit Pistons at two games apiece tonight, as the teams meet at the Bradley Center for Game 4 of the best-of-seven set.

Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

On Saturday, Michael Redd scored a playoff career-high 40 points to lead the eighth-seeded Bucks over the top-seeded Pistons, 124-104, in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series at the Bradley Center.

Maurice Williams netted 20 and Joe Smith had 13 points and seven rebounds in Game 3s win for the Bucks, who trail in the set 2-1. Center Jamaal Magloire tallied 12 points and seven rebounds for Milwaukee.

Chauncey Billups had 26 points, six rebounds and six assists in the loss for the Pistons, who had won the first two games of the series at The Palace. Rasheed Wallace added 18 points and six boards in defeat.

Detroit, which has lost two straight and four of its last five road games in the playoffs, has won five straight Game 4s in the postseason, while the Bucks have lost three of their last four Game 4s.

The Pistons are in the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Detroit, which captured the Central Division and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, has reached the NBA Finals each of the last two years.

Milwaukee is in the playoffs for the third time in four years. The Bucks, who missed last season’s playoffs, were ousted in five games by the Pistons in the first round of the 2004 postseason.

The Pistons defeated Milwaukee in three games, 2-1, during the first round of the 1975-76 Western Conference playoffs. Detroit later swept the Bucks in four games in the 1988-89 Eastern Conference semifinals.

Detroit finished 3-1 versus Milwaukee in the 2005-06 regular-season series.

The Pistons were a solid 27-14 on the road during the regular season, while the Bucks were 25-16 at the Bradley Center.