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N8Frog wrote:
I tweeted Paschke last night about Udoh and he replied his status is undetermined right now.

Jim Paschke
‏@Paschketball
Dunleavy,Harris, Udrih and Lamb NWT in Clev. Lamb ill and may join team tomorrow for Cavs game. #MilvCle.

N8Frog wrote:Yeah, usually with the Bucks no news = BAD news.

I wonder why they had Sanders around the team if he was ill. I am positive I saw him on the bench at Wednesday's game. It would really be nice to win tonight with LAC, at Memphis, and at Boston in 3 of the next 4. And I'm sure Indiana will put up a better effort than last time too.

Sanders to start; Bucks have 11 at shootaround
By Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel
Dec. 14, 2012 10:46 a.m.

Cleveland - Counting heads was the subject du jour at the Bucks shootaround session Friday morning at Quicken Loans Arena.

The Bucks had 11 players at shootaround, although Ekpe Udoh's status for the game against Cleveland is yet to be determined. Udoh injured both wrists in a fall in the Bucks victory at Brooklyn on Sunday.

Bucks coach Scott Skiles said Larry Sanders will start at center and a decision on Udoh's availability will be made later in the day. Udoh did take part in shootaround. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute will start for the second straight game at power forward.

Sanders missed the Bucks' 98-85 victory over Sacramento on Wednesday because of a sinus infection. He said after shootaround he was feeling much better. Sanders will replace Samuel Dalembert in the starting lineup.

Doron Lamb was missing after suffering from the flu but Skiles said he expects the guard to fly to Cleveland later Friday and possibly be available to play. The Bucks are short in the backcourt with Lamb ill and Beno Udrih still out with his sprained right ankle.

Skiles said he will start Marquis Daniels at small forward but Daniels also could shift to the backcourt if needed.

"If Doron gets here, we'll have an extra guard," Skiles said. "Brandon (Jennings) and Monta (Ellis) are coming off a big-minute game anyway and they'll have to play bigger minutes. If we needed a third point guard, it would be Marquis."

Jennings played 42 minutes and Ellis played 41 against the Kings.

The Bucks bench scored 62 points against Cleveland when the teams met Nov. 3 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. But the Bucks will be without three bench players Friday - Udrih, Mike Dunleavy and Tobias Harris. All are out with injuries.

"I think it's an underrated team," Skiles said of the Cavaliers, who are 5-18 but beat the Los Angeles Lakers at home earlier this week. "I don't think their record is reflective of how good they are.

"They're up 16 points at Indiana the other night in the first half. They ended up getting beat. You've got to get (Kyrie) Irving under control and you've got to pay attention to (Anderson) Varejao. And they've got a hot player right now in C.J. Miles."

Irving, the Cavaliers point guard and 2012 NBA rookie of the year, returned against the Lakers after missing 11 games with a broken finger.

Varejao is leading the league in rebounding but is just 12th in the all-star voting for frontcourt players in the Eastern Conference. The center designation has been removed from this year's balloting, which means Varejao is competing with small forwards and power forwards in the voting.

"He is an underrated offensive player because he can put the ball on the floor," Skiles said. "He's a good passer. He now can make elbow shots. He's relentless on the board and has a ton of energy. He's the kind of guy who can change a game."

The Bucks needed a last-second three-pointer by Jennings to edge the Cavaliers, 105-102, in the first meeting between the teams. Milwaukee has won eight straight against Cleveland.

"it's a big moment in the season for us," Skiles said. "We've worked our way back now above .500. We can either get solidly above .500 and keep moving in that direction, or not."

The Bucks are 11-9 and have won three in a row. They return home to meet the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.