NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
MILWAUKEE 27 22 28 25 102
DENVER 33 30 22 16 101 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: MIL - RAY ALLEN 31, GLENN ROBINSON 21, TIM THOMAS 13
DEN - NICK VAN EXEL 44, JAMES POSEY 14, GEORGE MCCLOUD 14
HIGH REBOUND: MIL - ANTHONY MASON 8, GLENN ROBINSON 6
DEN - SCOTT WILLIAMS 11, NICK VAN EXEL 7
HIGH ASSISTS: MIL - SAM CASSELL 5, RAFER ALSTON 5
DEN - NICK VAN EXEL 8, JAMES POSEY 5
ATT: 18,634
Extended Box
MILWAUKEE (102) AT DENVER (101)
MILWAUKEE
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
ROBINSON F 32 8-19 3-5 0 6 6 2 3 4 1 21
MASON F 38 5-9 2-2 3 5 8 4 3 2 2 12
POPE C 13 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
ALLEN G 36 10-12 3-4 1 1 2 4 4 1 3 31
CASSELL G 30 4-10 2-2 0 2 2 5 3 3 2 12
THOMAS 32 5-9 2-3 0 5 5 4 3 0 1 13
JOHNSON 19 0-0 1-2 0 2 2 0 3 1 2 1
REDD 18 1-5 2-2 0 0 0 2 2 3 0 4
ALSTON 17 3-6 0-0 0 2 2 5 1 0 0 6
CAFFEY 5 0-1 0-0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
FOSTER DNP - COACH'S DECISION
HAM DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 37-74 15-20 5 23 28 26 23 14 11 102
(.500) (.750) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 11(13 PTS)
DENVER
REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===
ABDUL-WAHAD F 31 2-6 2-2 2 1 3 2 5 2 1 7
WILLIAMS F 36 2-4 2-2 2 9 11 2 4 0 2 6
LAFRENTZ C 21 0-5 1-2 1 1 2 0 2 0 1 1
POSEY G 35 7-13 0-0 2 4 6 5 3 1 0 14
VAN EXEL G 41 16-32 6-7 0 7 7 8 1 0 4 44
G MCCLOUD 25 3-9 8-8 1 3 4 2 4 1 2 14
BOWEN 9 2-3 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4
SCOTT 14 1-2 1-1 1 2 3 0 3 0 0 3
JOHNSON 14 0-0 1-2 0 0 0 3 0 0 2 1
RIDER 14 3-4 0-0 1 3 4 0 0 1 2 7
BATERE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
CEBALLOS DNP - COACH'S DECISION
TOTALS 240 36-78 21-24 10 30 40 22 22 6 14 101
(.462) (.875) TEAM REBS: 9 TOTAL TO: 15(16 PTS)
MILWAUKEE 27 22 28 25 - 102
DENVER 33 30 22 16 - 101
BLOCKED SHOTS: MILWAUKEE - JOHNSON 2, ROBINSON, THOMAS, POPE. DENVER -
VAN EXEL, SCOTT.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: MILWAUKEE 13-20 (.650), ROBINSON 2-3, POPE 0-1, ALLEN
8-9, CASSELL 2-4, THOMAS 1-2, REDD 0-1. DENVER 8-17 (.471), ABDUL-WAHAD
1-1, VAN EXEL 6-11, G MCCLOUD 0-4, RIDER 1-1.
TECHNICALS: MILWAUKEE - DEFENSIVE THREE 3, MASON.
OFFICIALS: JOE DEROSA, DON VADEN, COURTNEY KIRKLAND.
A - 18,634. T - 2:08.
Box Score
MILWAUKEE (102)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Robinson 32 8-19 3-5 0-6 2 3 21
Mason 38 5-9 2-2 3-8 4 3 12
Pope 13 1-3 0-0 0-0 0 0 2
Allen 36 10-12 3-4 1-2 4 4 31
Cassell 30 4-10 2-2 0-2 5 3 12
Thomas 32 5-9 2-3 0-5 4 3 13
Johnson 19 0-0 1-2 0-2 0 3 1
Redd 18 1-5 2-2 0-0 2 2 4
Alston 17 3-6 0-0 0-2 5 1 6
Caffey 5 0-1 0-0 1-1 0 1 0
Foster DNP - coach's decision
Ham DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 37-74 15-20 5-28 26 23 102
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.500, FT-.750. 3-Point Goals:
13-20, .650 (Robinson 2-3, Pope 0-1, Allen 8-9,
Cassell 2-4, Thomas 1-2, Redd 0-1). Team
rebounds: 10. Blocked shots: 5 (Johnson 2,
Robinson, Thomas, Pope). Turnovers: 11 (Allen 3,
Cassell 2, Johnson 2, Mason 2, Robinson, Thomas).
Steals: 14 (Robinson 4, Cassell 3, Redd 3, Mason
2, Allen, Johnson).
DENVER (101)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Abdul-wahad 31 2-6 2-2 2-3 2 5 7
Williams 36 2-4 2-2 2-11 2 4 6
Lafrentz 21 0-5 1-2 1-2 0 2 1
Posey 35 7-13 0-0 2-6 5 3 14
Van Exel 41 16-32 6-7 0-7 8 1 44
G Mccloud 25 3-9 8-8 1-4 2 4 14
Bowen 9 2-3 0-0 0-0 0 0 4
Scott 14 1-2 1-1 1-3 0 3 3
Johnson 14 0-0 1-2 0-0 3 0 1
Rider 14 3-4 0-0 1-4 0 0 7
Batere DNP - coach's decision
Ceballos DNP - coach's decision
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 240 36-78 21-24 10-40 22 22 101
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.462, FT-.875. 3-Point Goals:
8-17, .471 (Abdul-wahad 1-1, Van Exel 6-11, G
Mccloud 0-4, Rider 1-1). Team rebounds: 9.
Blocked shots: 2 (Van Exel, Scott). Turnovers: 15
(Van Exel 4, G Mccloud 2, Johnson 2, Rider 2,
Williams 2, Abdul-wahad, Lafrentz). Steals: 6
(Abdul-wahad 2, Bowen, G Mccloud, Posey, Rider).
____________________________________________
Milwaukee 27 22 28 25 - 102
Denver 33 30 22 16 - 101
____________________________________________
Technical fouls: Milwaukee 4 (Defensive Three 3,
6:23 1st, 2:58 1st, 10:01 2nd; Mason, 0:04 3rd).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 18,634. T: 2:08.
Officials: Joe Derosa, Don Vaden, Courtney
Kirkland.
Game Story
DENVER (Ticker) -- Ervin Johnson's free throw with one second
left -- his only point of the game -- capped a wild sequence and
gave the Milwaukee Bucks a 102-101 victory over the Denver
Nuggets, who wasted 44 points by Nick Van Exel.
With the score tied at 101-101, Milwaukee's Sam Cassell turned
the ball over with 12 seconds left. George McCloud went in for a
layup that was blocked by Glenn Robinson with six seconds to go.
"I expected him to go all the way," said Robinson, not known for
his defense. "When he went to the basket, I thought he was going
to knock it down. I just got up as high as I could and got a
really clean block on it."
Cassell saved the ball from going out of bounds by throwing it
upcourt to Anthony Mason, who led a 3-on-1 fast break. Mason
dished to Johnson, who was hammered by former Buck Scott
Williams.
"`Big Dog' made a heck of a block," Johnson said. "Sam saved it,
threw it to Mason (and I) was just trying to score the ball."
Johnson, a former Nugget, made the first but airballed on the
second, giving Denver one final chance. After a timeout, Van
Exel took the inbounds pass, dribbled twice and failed to get a
long shot off as time expired.
"We need to keep the pace going in the second half," said Van
Exel, who had 13 points after halftime. "We have got to find
better ways in the second half to keep up the intensity level."
Ray Allen made 8-of-9 3-pointers and scored 31 points to lead
Milwaukee. Robinson contributed 19 points and Tim Thomas added
13 off the bench.
"When I line up for the 3, I don't even look at the basket,"
Allen said. "To me, it's like seeing a whole field. If I can
just let the ball go, I don't even need to aim it."
Van Exel, who scored just five points in the final period, made
16-of-32 shots, including six 3-pointers. His 44 points matched
a career high set April 15, 2000 in a 115-114 overtime victory
over the Los Angeles Clippers.
"I felt too many of the guys were standing around watching
Nick," Nuggets coach Dan Issel said. "We need others to
contribute on offense."
With Van Exel connecting on 10-of-17 shots, Denver cruised to a
63-49 lead at halftime. But Thomas kept the Bucks in the
contest with 13 points.
The Nuggets held a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter
before Milwaukee used a 13-3 run, featuring a pair of 3-pointers
by Allen, for a 92-92 tie with 5:44 left.
"In the second half, we played good," Milwaukee coach George
Karl said. "The first half was Buck defense. We were a little
bit more aware in the second quarter and Nick ran out of gas a
little bit."
The game featured two more ties before Cassell gave the Bucks
their first lead since the first quarter with a 3-pointer for a
99-98 edge with 2:27 to go. Van Exel answered with a long
3-pointer from the top of the key with 73 seconds to go before
Mason scored 20 seconds later to set up the frantic finish.
Milwaukee made 13-of-20 from beyond the arc, led by Allen's hot
shooting. The Bucks were hammered on the glass, 40-28.
James Posey and McCloud were the only other Nuggets to finish in
double figures with 14 points apiece. Denver made 21-of-24 free
throws.
The Bucks posted their second straight comeback victory to open
the season. They rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit
in an overtime victory at Utah.
"It's an incredible way to start the season," Karl said. "We
could've lost both games."
