Keyon Dooling leads the Bucks to a 100-87 victory over the Wizards
Keyon Dooling scored a season-high 23 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 100-87 victory over the Washington Wizards at the Bradley Centre on Wednesday night.
Bucks Point Guard Earl Boykins commented on Dooling’s hot shooting night. He said, “I was happy to see Keyon making shots. He's always been capable of making shots, but this year it's been real tough for him shooting, and to see him go out there and make
shots and really get into a rhythm, I was really happy for him tonight.”
Corey Maggette found his rhythm as he added 21 points for Milwaukee, who went 35 of 73 to finish at 48 percent from the field. Earl Boykins had a season-high 19 off the bench for the victors.
Andray Blatche was solid as always with a team-high 23 points in the defeat. Nick Young contributed 21 for the Wizards, who dropped to 0-20 on the road. Washington rookie John Wall ended with 10 points and a game-high 13 assists for Washington, who are two
losses from matching their worst road start since 1997-98.
The Milwaukee roster was ravaged by injuries going into the game. The Bucks got more bad news when they came to know that they had to face the Wizards in the absence of Carlos Delfino, Brandon Jennings, and John Salmons who were out injured.
Dooling said that it is a part of game to play in different circumstances, "It's been like musical chairs, we've been rotating bodies. Sometimes you might have certain guys, sometimes you might not. We've got to concentrate on our brand of basketball. That's
playing hard on the defensive end, executing on offence and playing together."
Match Analysis
The Wizards played flat and with very little fire on the defensive end for three quarters. By the time they turned it up and started getting stops, it was too late. The Bucks defence managed to hold on to its lead.
Milwaukee, which came in as the NBA's worst shooting team, now improved their shooting parentage as they went 35 of 73 to finish at 48 percent from the field. JaVale McGee blocked his NBA-best 100th shot early in the first quarter. With his block, Washington
raced to a 31-19 lead off Wall's jumper early in the second.
Blatche and Wall netted eight and seven points respectively in the opening quarter, as the Wizards took a 27-19 lead going into the second. The Bucks were back on track in the second quarter, and reduced the deficit by six points. However, the Wizards managed
to take a 49-47 lead into the locker room at half time.
Washington went into the final five minutes of the third quarter without a field goal, and as a result the Bucks turned a two-point half time deficit into a 75-66 lead heading into the final stanza. The Bucks took a 90-74 lead on two Dooling free throws
with more than two minutes left.
Wizards rookie point guard John Wall lamented his side’s performance on the road. He said, "Back home we have so much energy and so much extra bounce in our step on defence, but on the road it is horrible. We are just a step too slow, nobody is getting to
the basket, and nobody is getting charges. We are averaging at least two or three charges at home, a couple more blocked shots. It's the little stuff at home we don't do on the road."
The Wizards scored the next nine points to cut the lead to 90-83. Boykins then rained in a three-pointer to stop the run, and got the Bucks started on an 8-0 run of their own. The struggling Wizards did not bother the hosts for rest of the period and the
game was over.
Tags: