Jazz Hit The Road
Milwaukee, WI – The Milwaukee Bucks could probably get used to these lopsided victories, which have been coming regularly since mid-December.
They just shouldn’t expect another when the Utah Jazz come to town.
The Bucks have won four games by at least 15 points in the past 10 days, but they’ll have a hard time posting another blowout on Tuesday, when they’ll try to snap an eight-game skid against the Jazz.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the Jazz –1 point spread favorites for Tuesday’s game against the Bucks. Current NBA Public Betting Information shows that 67% of more than 243 bets for this game have been placed on the Jazz –1.
Milwaukee (13-16) had dropped nine of 14 without injured guard Michael Redd in the lineup, and still lost four of six after he returned from a sprained right ankle. But with Redd fully healthy and his teammates stepping up, the Bucks have been a buzzsaw of late.
Starting with a 121-103 victory over Indiana on Dec. 13, Milwaukee has won four of five, with the lone loss coming after a blown fourth-quarter lead in Philadelphia. Those victories have been by an average of 22.8 points, and on Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers, they recorded their most lopsided win in nearly seven years.
Richard Jefferson scored 22 points in just 20 minutes, leading eight Bucks in double figures during a 119-85 win, Milwaukee’s largest margin of victory since a 39-point win over Houston on Feb. 20, 2002.
No Bucks starter played more than 30 minutes.
"This is the biggest win we’ve had since I’ve been here," said fourth-year center Andrew Bogut, who’s averaging 13.6 points and 12.0 rebounds in his last five games. "So, it’s nice to be actually sitting (on the bench) in the fourth quarter for once."
Milwaukee’s scoring balance – six players average at least 10.5 points – is nothing new. The Bucks got 41 points from their reserves on Saturday, and have the most productive bench in the Eastern Conference, averaging 35.2 points.
The Jazz (17-12) have certainly had their depth tested this season, as their two biggest stars have missed significant time. Deron Williams has been back from his left ankle sprain since late November, but Carlos Boozer has missed the past 17 games with a strained left quadriceps.
Boozer, who was averaging 20.5 points, is due to undergo a third MRI in Los Angeles early this week.
With Boozer out, Utah has inserted Paul Millsap into the starting lineup, a move that’s working out brilliantly so far. Millsap has a double-double in 15 consecutive games, and in the first four contests of the Jazz’s five-game eastern road swing, he’s averaged 24.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while shooting 63.9 percent.
Millsap had 22 points on Saturday in Chicago, but 20 turnovers doomed Utah in a 106-98 loss to the Bulls. The Jazz entered this week tied for the league lead in most turnovers per game at 16.3.
"It’s something we really need to work on," said Williams, who had six assists but four turnovers Saturday. "We start off sloppy at the beginning of games, then it becomes contagious to all of us. We’re just a little too aggressive with our passes."
Williams missed the Jazz’s 105-94 win over Milwaukee on Nov. 19, a game when C.J. Miles led the way with a season-high 25 points. But Williams thrived against the Bucks last season, averaging 29.5 points and 11.5 assists in two wins.
Williams is 6-0 in his career versus Milwaukee, but the Jazz have dominated the series for even longer. Utah has won eight straight against the Bucks since an 89-86 loss at the Bradley Center on Jan. 8, 2005.
Redd, who sat out the loss at Utah in November, scored a career-high 57 points when the Jazz visited Milwaukee on Jan. 11, 2006.
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Posted: 12/23/08 1:00AM ET