NBA


Bucks edge Pacers to complete season sweep

Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Jerry Stackhouse finished with a team-high 20 points off the bench, as the Milwaukee Bucks escaped with a 98-94 win over the Indiana Pacers at the Bradley Center.

Andrew Bogut donated a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Luke Ridnour chipped in with 13 points in a reserve role for Milwaukee, which has won six straight overall and took all four games versus Indiana this year. It was the Bucks first series sweep of the Pacers since the 1981-82 season.

Danny Granger led all scorers with 29 points and Troy Murphy went for 14 points and 13 boards for the Pacers, who have dropped six of their last seven overall, including a 122-103 setback to Boston on Friday. Earl Watson and Brandon Rush ended with 15 and 13 points, respectively, in defeat.

Milwaukee entered the fourth quarter with a seemingly comfortable 14-point lead and maintained a double-digit advantage for a good portion of the stanza.

However, with the Bucks up 89-76 with 5:37 left, Indiana used a 12-3 run to make it a 92-88 game with 3:30 to play. Bogut's dunk put Milwaukee in front by six a short time later before Solomon Jones' layup and jumper narrowed the visitors deficit to 96-94 with 36.9 seconds on the clock.

Bogut's hook shot was off the mark on the Bucks next trip down the floor and Murphy corralled the rebound and called timeout. Granger's short jumper wouldn't fall with 2.9 seconds remaining and John Salmons' two free throws with 1.1 seconds to go put the game away.

Milwaukee led 23-19 after the opening 12 minutes, then got back-to-back three- pointers from Ridnour and Stackhouse as part of an 8-0 run to build its lead to double-figures, 36-25, with 7:19 remaining in the half. Bogut's free throw with under a second to play put the Bucks in front 49-41 at the break.

The Bucks continued to have their way with things in the third quarter and Ridnour's technical free throw and hook shot in the closing seconds gave Milwaukee a 76-62 lead after three quarters.

Game Notes

Pacers guard T.J. Ford is expected to miss the next seven to 10 days with a sore left groin...Milwaukee, which shot 42.9 percent from the field and 8- of-16 from three-point territory, went 4-0 on its homestand...Indiana shot 37.5 percent from the floor and made only 7-of-21 from beyond the arc.

03/14 16:19:23 ET

 

 

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