Bucks 87 - Atlanta 80:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2008011615
Andrew Bogut is finally turning into the low-post presence the Bucks desperately needed.
Bogut, the former No. 1 pick in his third season, continued his recent tear with 21 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots and Milwaukee beat cold-shooting Atlanta 87-80 on Wednesday night.
Bogut's recent surge in production came after several meetings with coach Larry Krystkowiak, which led to more plays for him in the offense.
"They said they were going to get the ball into me a bit more. It's definitely good to hear a coach say that, it gives you confidence," Bogut said. "If I take 20 shots, I'm pretty sure I'll make 50 percent of them or more, so the more shots, the better."
Bogut was 8-of-14 from the field against the Hawks and had 14 points in the second half.
"We've gotten a little more creative with ways to get him the basketball. I think early in the season it's one thing to talk about, 'Hey, let's throw the ball inside and give Andrew an opportunity early in the season,"' Krystkowiak said. "Shame on me for doing so -- if he didn't produce the first two or three times down the floor, often times we'd go to another option."
Milwaukee 104 - Indiana 92
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2 ... 15&prov=ap
Michael Redd has not had a lot of fourth-quarter shots in the past few games, so he sat down with Milwaukee Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak and devised a new plan before Thursday night's game against Indiana.
The meeting paid immediate dividends as Redd scored 37 points, leading the up-tempo Bucks to a 104-92 victory over the Pacers.
"Let me play, let me go, let me loose," was the way Redd described the result of the meeting. "Just go play. No thinking. Play basketball."
Redd took only three shots in the fourth quarter in Milwaukee's loss to Phoenix Tuesday night, and four second-half shots in Saturday night's loss to Golden State.
Instead of Redd being the focal point, the Bucks offense went through center Andrew Bogut the past few games.
After his pregame meeting with Krystkowiak, Redd was back as the centerpiece of Milwaukee's offense and made 13-of-29 shots. He had five rebounds and five assists without a turnover, scoring 10 in the fourth quarter.
He played every minute of the second half and 45 overall as the Bucks won for only the second time in eight games.
"That might be the way we have to play the rest of the year, fast, up-tempo, keep pushing it, within sense," he said. "It was different tonight. It wasn't so much slow. Just playing in transition."
But did Krystkowiak view the result of the their meeting differently?
"There's nobody on our team I'd rather have taking an open shot than Michael," Krystkowiak said.
"It's the time when maybe he carries the burden on his shoulders a little bit and takes some forced shots," he said. "I don't want to rob anybody of feeling like they can't take shots when they're open."
Here's to hoping that this is one battle Redd will lose.