Wizards' Win Streak Stops At Redd Light in Milwaukee

Bucks 119, Wizards 102

"They made the key plays with Ruben Patterson and Michael Redd (above) making big shots down the stretch," said Wizards forward Caron Butler, a native of Racine, Wis., who led the Wizards with 29 points and 13 rebounds. (AP)

MILWAUKEE, Dec. 30 -- For the better part of a month the Washington Wizards overwhelmed opponents with an abundance of offensive options. The Wizards averaged a whopping 118 points over the course of 13 games and changed the look of the Eastern Conference standings by winning 11 of them.

On Saturday night, the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Wizards at their own game.

Riding the clutch shooting of Michael Redd, the playmaking of Maurice Williams and the low-post game of Ruben Patterson, the Bucks blew open a close game by scoring 37 fourth-quarter points en route to a 119-102 victory at Bradley Center.

Redd and his smooth left-handed shooting stroke led the way with 28 points, but every Bucks starter scored in double figures and the Bucks also received 21 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists from Patterson.

The Wizards (17-13) played without starting center Brendan Haywood, who sat out after spraining his right ankle during Friday's win over Orlando. Haywood said he expected to play Wednesday night against the Bucks at Verizon Center.

The loss snapped Washington's five-game winning streak and at least temporarily halted some of the momentum created by a hot stretch that included wins over the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns.

"They made the key plays with Ruben Patterson and Michael Redd making big shots down the stretch," said Wizards forward Caron Butler, a native of Racine, Wis., who led the Wizards with 29 points and 13 rebounds. "You have to tip your hat to them but the good thing about it is, we'll see them again in a few days."

Chances are, the Bucks (16-15) will see a different Gilbert Arenas Wednesday night. Arenas was held to 19 points on 7-of-22 shooting Saturday after averaging 35.1 points in the previous 15 games.

Arenas focused more on involving his teammates early -- he attempted only three first-quarter shots against Milwaukee's zone defense -- and was not his usual attacking self after slamming his shoulder into Patterson during the first half.

Arenas gave the Wizards an 85-82 lead at the end of the third quarter when he beat the buzzer by pulling up from 34 feet for a three-pointer, but the Bucks opened the fourth with a 17-4 run.

Without Haywood, Coach Eddie Jordan went with a smallish lineup consisting of Arenas and DeShawn Stevenson at guard, Jarvis Hayes and Butler at forward and Antawn Jamison at center. The Bucks exploited that lineup in the fourth by repeatedly feeding the ball to Patterson, who either scored over Jamison or Butler, or moved the ball to an open teammate.

Patterson made 4 of 5 shots in the fourth with two assists while scoring 10 of his 21 points.

"I probably should've gone zone a little bit more just to alleviate that set, I probably made a mistake there," Jordan said. "But, he got it going. We tried to double team him sometimes but he went so quick . . . he just got it rolling."

The Wizards briefly controlled the game in the second quarter thanks in part to a boost from reserves Andray Blatche and Calvin Booth. Blatche snagged a pair of offensive rebounds and converted them into layups and also hit a three-pointer from the wing and Booth was an active defensive presence, blocking and deflecting shots whenever the Bucks attacked the rim.

Blatche has been eagerly trying to earn a spot in Jordan's rotation and helped his cause by posting seven points and seven rebounds in eight first-half minutes.

Washington pushed its lead to 41-31 when Hayes followed an Arenas layup -- his first basket of the night -- by making a jump shot in the lane but following a timeout, the Bucks answered with a 7-0 run.

Thanks to Butler, who scored 19 first-half points, the Wizards took a 51-48 lead into the second but that's when things began to slip away. After Butler gave the Wizards a 61-60 lead with a breakaway layup, the Bucks went on a 9-0 run.

In the first meeting between the Wizards and Bucks back on Nov. 10 at Verizon Center, the Wizards busted out with a 40-point fourth quarter and won 116-111. This time, it was the Bucks who had the big final quarter.

"They got hot and hit some shots and I thought the size factor took its toll as the night went along," Jordan said. "We just lost to a better team tonight."