Thanks to Dwyane Wade, the Bucks are back in 8th, percentage points ahead of the Bulls, who pushed the Heat to double OT last night until D-Wade said ... NOT IN MY HOUSE.
Bucks (30-36) vs. NY Knicks (25-37) @ Bradley Center, 7pm, FSN
Are there too many teams vying for the final playoff spots in the East? I think so, and the Knicks are still in the hunt, 3 games behind the 8th place Bucks. The Knicks fell to the Nets in New Jersey Sunday and one more loss to the Bucks should kill their playoff hopes and simplify the East playoff scramble.
The Bucks are 3-0 against the Knicks this season and looking for a sweep. However, this is the first time the Bucks will face the Knicks without Andrew Bogut, and it's very unlikely that Knicks forward Al Harrington will get stuck in traffic this time as he did before the Bucks game Dec. 19 in NY.
Another big factor against the Knicks is point guard Chris Duhon, one of Skiles' Baby Bulls. Unlike the leaders of the Baby Bulls, Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon, who thrive against their former coach, Duhon (Hinrich's former backup) has reserved a couple of his worst games of the season for Skiles' Bucks. Back in December, I came up with a working theory, which will again be put to the test tonight. It goes something like this:
Is Skiles implementing a special anti-Duhon defense that only he knows about? Or is it ...
A) The recurrance of repressed memories induced by the barking tone with which Skiles yells at his players;
B) Skiles' ridiculously fearsome forehead;
C) Skiles' menacing glare;
D) The ever-present, ominous Skiles scowl which usually precedes A above.
E) Recurring fears that Skiles still has the power to yank him and put Hinrich back into the game
We should have an answer by 9:30pm or so.
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The answer is Nate Robinson. Just don't rely on Duhon at all against a Skiles team. It worked.
Journal Sentinel posted something new today: "The money game" - which is a list of the Bucks salaries. Why nine months late with this when it could have been made clear to Bucks fans the necessity last summer of dumping Redd on the Cavs, who wanted him, is beyond me. Posting this now comes too - late, and not on the money at all.
Tell me, what good does this info do now? Now the Bucks play basketball. Nothing can be done about the roster and the payroll until July 1.