Bucks now three games behind Philly in playoff chase with four games left

Talk about it

INDIANAPOLIS - The Milwaukee Bucks’ magic number for being eliminated from the NBA playoffs is now two, after a rough 118-109 loss at Indiana last night.

Bucks’ guard and former Pacer Mike Dunleavy was the victim of a flagrant foul for the second time in his last two games with Indiana. And Bucks’ forward Larry Sanders was ejected late in the fourth quarter, after he got into a pileup with a couple of Pacers around the basket. Sanders was called for a foul to Danny Granger. And Sanders pointed toward David West, who put the flagrant foul on Dunleavy last Saturday night. Bucks’ teammate Luc Richard Mbah a Moute pulled Sanders away before he could punch somebody. He was escorted to the locker room after committing two technicals within 20 seconds. It was Sanders’ second ejection this month. West and Granger were also given technical fouls for their roles in the incident. Sanders said the near melee had been boiling up for awhile, and it was not one particular incident that caused it. Dunleavy said it’s unfortunate, because it all stems from a feud between him and Pacers’ center Tyler Hansbrough – who leveled Dunleavy with a hard foul in their first meeting of the season. Leandro Barbosa had the flagrant foul on Dunleavy last night. Bucks’ coach Scott Skiles says he’ll let the league sort everything out, and he wouldn’t comment.

Indiana was up six at the half, and won its seventh straight game. The Pacers also clinched home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Granger led Indiana with 29 points. Brandon Jennings scored 27 for Milwaukee, which has lost five of six and is now three games behind Philadelphia for the final East playoff spot with four games left. The Bucks host New Jersey tomorrow night.

Tags: wisconsin sports, sports, bucks, basketball