Bucks win game but lose NBA playoff bid

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MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Bucks beat Toronto 92-to-86 at home last night – but it was not enough to keep the Bucks’ playoff hopes from being snuffed out. Philadelphia won the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference earlier in the evening with a 105-87 win at New Jersey. And the Bucks are headed to the NBA Draft Lottery for the third time in four years under general manager John Hammond and coach Scott Skiles.

The Bucks trailed the Raptors by five points after three quarters, but they won the game with a 30-to-19 run in the fourth quarter. Toronto committed 9-of-its-22 turnovers in the final period. Brandon Jennings scored 25 points, and Ersan Ilyasova added 19 points and 15 rebounds for the Bucks. Monta Ellis had 17 points despite playing through an injury to his left shooting hand. He went to the locker room with just over a minute left. Bucks’ forwards Carlos Delfino and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute also sat out due to injuries.

James Johnson had 22 points and 13 rebounds for Toronto, which has lost four straight. The Raptors’ leading scorer, DeMar DeRozan, was ejected in the second period after he was called for traveling and threw the ball down the court in disgust. But it was the Bucks who were disappointed the most. Skiles said they didn’t make the playoffs because they didn’t get the job done. And he said if the players are not very disappointed quote, “We’ve got big problems.” Ilyasova said the Bucks lost too many close games, and it was indeed frustrating.

Milwaukee is now 31-33. They’ll host Philadelphia tomorrow night.

Tags: wisconsin sports, proam, bucks, basketball