Night in and night out the Bucks struggle on offense. It's just the way it is. But after the way they were playing the last few games (albeit against Washington, Cleveland and Philadelphia) I thought they were starting to click for once. Then they go out and shoot just 31 percent from the floor and score a franchise low for points in a single game by scoring 56 Sunday night in Boston. The mark is also a record night on the defensive end for Boston since they held the Milwaukee Hawks to 57 points back in 1955.
Keyon Dooling had an opportunity to get the Bucks to 58, tying the record, from the free throw line with 22 ticks to go but clanged both of them sealing their fate.
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Coach Skiles said the loss was humiliating and they "pretty much just gave into it". I mean, Earl Barron was the Bucks' leading scorer at a blistering ten points. They would have set a league record for lowest points in a half in the first half if it weren't for Andrew Bogut's two baskets in the final minute of the second quarter to bring their total to 22. The record is 19.
The C's made only two 3-pointers in the game and still scored 87. It didn't help the Bucks case to have Bogut get into early foul trouble. The Bucks aren't the same team with the league's leading shot blocker on the bench for the better part of the first half. Also, it didn't help that that was the Bucks' fifth game of the week and they were taking on the #1 team in the Eastern Conference.
I think the Celtics are in good shape for the post-season despite the fact that there are five new faces in their rotation. Troy Murphy finally woke up in his fifth game with Boston last night. Carlos Arroyo is a very capable back-up to Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green brings some added athleticism off the bench.
The Bucks fell to a game and a half back of 8th place Indiana with their loss and the Pacers' victory last night. They'll look to avenge this dismal effort when they head to Atlanta to take on the Hawks Tuesday night.
-Mitch
