Bucks vs. Bulls

Box Score  Extended Box  Game Story 
Dec 31, 2001

NBA FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL --- --- --- --- ----- MILWAUKEE 19 24 23 17 83 CHICAGO 16 21 31 22 90 FINAL

HIGH SCORERS: MIL - SAM CASSELL 28, TIM THOMAS 19, MICHAEL REDD 13 CHI - RON MERCER 20, MARCUS FIZER 17, RON ARTEST 15

HIGH REBOUND: MIL - ANTHONY MASON 7, MICHAEL REDD 6 CHI - MARCUS FIZER 14, RON MERCER 7

HIGH ASSISTS: MIL - SAM CASSELL 6, RAFER ALSTON 5 CHI - RON MERCER 7, GREG ANTHONY 6

ATT: 17,167


Extended Box

MILWAUKEE (83) AT CHICAGO (90)

MILWAUKEE REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

MASON F 43 4-6 3-5 1 6 7 4 4 2 2 11 THOMAS F 40 6-15 5-8 2 3 5 1 6 1 3 19 POPE C 22 1-2 0-0 0 2 2 1 4 0 0 2 CASSELL G 39 12-23 2-3 0 2 2 6 2 2 2 28 REDD G 40 6-12 0-0 0 6 6 4 2 0 3 13 HAM 32 0-5 3-4 1 3 4 1 2 1 3 3 ALSTON 17 3-7 0-0 0 4 4 5 2 0 1 7 JOHNSON 7 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 ALLEN DNP - LEFT KNEE TENDINITIS CAFFEY DNP - COACH'S DECISION PRZYBILLA DNP - COACH'S DECISION ROBINSON DNP - LEFT THIGH BRUISE

TOTALS 240 32-70 13-20 4 26 30 22 22 7 14 83 (.457) (.650) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 14(17 PTS)

CHICAGO REBOUNDS PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS ====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

ARTEST F 30 5-8 3-4 3 3 6 4 2 3 1 15 OAKLEY F 27 4-9 1-2 0 2 2 1 4 0 2 9 MILLER C 15 0-4 0-0 1 1 2 1 6 0 0 0 ANTHONY G 27 3-5 3-4 0 3 3 6 3 2 1 10 MERCER G 38 9-20 2-2 2 5 7 7 2 0 0 20 FIZER 35 8-13 1-4 2 12 14 2 4 1 5 17 OLLIE 22 2-4 2-2 0 2 2 1 0 1 0 6 HASSELL 18 1-9 2-2 0 1 1 2 1 0 3 4 CHANDLER 12 2-2 0-0 2 2 4 0 1 1 1 4 HOIBERG 10 1-3 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 3 CURRY 6 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 BAGARIC DNP - COACH'S DECISION

TOTALS 240 36-78 14-20 10 31 41 27 23 9 13 90 (.462) (.700) TEAM REBS: 15 TOTAL TO: 14(14 PTS)

MILWAUKEE 19 24 23 17 - 83 CHICAGO 16 21 31 22 - 90

BLOCKED SHOTS: MILWAUKEE - MASON, POPE. CHICAGO - CHANDLER 2, ARTEST. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS: MILWAUKEE 6-18 (.333), THOMAS 2-5, POPE 0-1, CASSELL 2-3, REDD 1-4, HAM 0-2, ALSTON 1-3. CHICAGO 4-13 (.308), ARTEST 2-4, OAKLEY 0-1, ANTHONY 1-3, MERCER 0-1, HASSELL 0-3, HOIBERG 1-1. TECHNICALS: MILWAUKEE - THOMAS 2 (EJECTED), MASON, HEAD COACH KARL (EJECTED), CASSELL, CHICAGO - FIZER. OFFICIALS: SCOTT FOSTER, MARC DAVIS, JOE FORTE. A - 17,167. T - 2:11.


Box Score

MILWAUKEE (83) fg ft rb min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp Mason 43 4-6 3-5 1-7 4 4 11 Thomas 40 6-15 5-8 2-5 1 6 19 Pope 22 1-2 0-0 0-2 1 4 2 Cassell 39 12-23 2-3 0-2 6 2 28 Redd 40 6-12 0-0 0-6 4 2 13 Ham 32 0-5 3-4 1-4 1 2 3 Alston 17 3-7 0-0 0-4 5 2 7 Johnson 7 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Allen DNP - left knee tendinitis Caffey DNP - coach's decision Przybilla DNP - coach's decision Robinson DNP - left thigh bruise _______________________________________________ TOTALS 240 32-70 13-20 4-30 22 22 83 _______________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.457, FT-.650. 3-Point Goals: 6-18, .333 (Thomas 2-5, Pope 0-1, Cassell 2-3, Redd 1-4, Ham 0-2, Alston 1-3). Team rebounds: 7. Blocked shots: 2 (Mason, Pope). Turnovers: 14 (Ham 3, Redd 3, Thomas 3, Cassell 2, Mason 2, Alston). Steals: 7 (Cassell 2, Mason 2, Ham, Johnson, Thomas).

CHICAGO (90) fg ft rb min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp Artest 30 5-8 3-4 3-6 4 2 15 Oakley 27 4-9 1-2 0-2 1 4 9 Miller 15 0-4 0-0 1-2 1 6 0 Anthony 27 3-5 3-4 0-3 6 3 10 Mercer 38 9-20 2-2 2-7 7 2 20 Fizer 35 8-13 1-4 2-14 2 4 17 Ollie 22 2-4 2-2 0-2 1 0 6 Hassell 18 1-9 2-2 0-1 2 1 4 Chandler 12 2-2 0-0 2-4 0 1 4 Hoiberg 10 1-3 0-0 0-0 2 0 3 Curry 6 1-1 0-0 0-0 1 0 2 Bagaric DNP - coach's decision _______________________________________________ TOTALS 240 36-78 14-20 10-41 27 23 90 _______________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.462, FT-.700. 3-Point Goals: 4-13, .308 (Artest 2-4, Oakley 0-1, Anthony 1-3, Mercer 0-1, Hassell 0-3, Hoiberg 1-1). Team rebounds: 15. Blocked shots: 3 (Chandler 2, Artest). Turnovers: 14 (Fizer 5, Hassell 3, Oakley 2, Anthony, Artest, Chandler). Steals: 9 (Artest 3, Anthony 2, Chandler, Fizer, Hoiberg, Ollie). ____________________________________________ Milwaukee 19 24 23 17 - 83 Chicago 16 21 31 22 - 90 ____________________________________________ Technical fouls: Milwaukee 5 (Thomas 2 (ejected), 2:05 3rd, 0:14 4th; Mason, 3:41 4th; Head Coach Karl (ejected), 2:12 4th; Cassell, 0:14 4th). Chicago 1 (Fizer, 2:05 3rd). Flagrant fouls: None. A: 17,167. T: 2:11. Officials: Scott Foster, Marc Davis, Joe Forte.


Game Story

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The fortunes of the Chicago Bulls are already changing under Bill Cartwright.

With the Central Division-leading Milwaukee Bucks missing leading scorers Glenn Robinson and Ray Allen, the Bulls improved to 2-0 under Cartwright with a 90-83 victory.

The back-to-back wins are the first for the Bulls since victories last April 17-18 at New Jersey and Philadelphia in the final two games of the 2000-01 season. They last won consecutive games at the United Center last February 13-17 against Atlanta and Miami.

Chicago made Cartwright's coaching debut a success with an impressive 103-80 win Saturday over the Cleveland Cavaliers. On Monday, the Bulls took advantage of a Bucks team that clearly missed Robinson and Allen.

"I thought we were really fortunate with Glenn Robinson and Ray Allen out for Milwaukee," Cartwright said. "Those two guys being out really hurt them. The lane is a little more open without them."

Robinson, who is averaging a team-leading 21.8 points, suffered a left thigh bruise in Milwaukee's overtime win over San Antonio on Saturday night. Allen, who is averaging 21.4 points, missed his sixth straight game with left knee tendinitis.

Ron Mercer scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half for the Bulls, who were 4-23 under former coach Tim Floyd before Cartwright took over.

"The guys are going out and playing hard," Mercer said. "We have had a lot of energy the last couple of games. Now it is a matter of playing hard and not losing it."

Marcus Fizer had 17 points and a career-high 14 rebounds and Ron Artest added 15 points for Chicago.

"Not taking anything away from Tim Floyd, but the guys are playing with more intensity," Fizer said.

"It feels good, especially for coach Cartwright," Artest said. "We just have to stay with it."

The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Milwaukee.

Facing the burden of carrying the offense, Sam Cassell led the Bucks with 28 points, but had just two in the fourth quarter.

Tim Thomas, one of the NBA's premier sixth men, started in Robinson's absence and scored 19 points. Michael Redd again filled in for Allen and had 12.

Anthony Mason added 11 points for Milwaukee and did not use the absence of Robinson and Allen as an excuse for his team.

"We have a lot of options on this team," Mason said. "We're talented, a deep team that can have a lot of offense. Everyone has to be ready to play and step up to meet those kind of challenges."

The Bucks scored six straight points to tie the game at 74-74 with 7:19 left in the fourth quarter after two straight baskets by Redd and a pair of free throws by Darvin Ham.

But the Bulls went on a decisive 11-4 run over the next seven minutes as Mercer hit a pair of jumpers from the right sideline.

A pair of free throws by rookie Trenton Hassell with 6:50 remaining gave Chicago the lead for good. After Mason and Fizer missed short shots, Ham turned the ball over and Mercer hit an 18-foot jumper from the right sideline with 5:56 left.

Cassell connected on a 17-foot jumper from the left sideline, but Mercer responded with a 22-footer from the right sideline. Artest then stripped Cassell near midcourt and went in for a layup, increasing Chicago's advantage to 82-76 with 4:23 left.

Redd hit a jumper from the right sideline with 4:17 remaining and the Bucks had a chance to pull within two, but Ham was whistled for an offensive foul with 3:45 left.

It was here where the Bucks unravaled. Mason was called for a technical foul and Greg Anthony converted the free throw for Chicago with 3:41 remaining.

After Thomas missed a 3-point jumper, Fizer turned the ball over for Chicago. But Thomas was called for an offensive foul and Cassell promptly fouled Chicago's Charles Oakley with 2:34 left. Oakley hit 1-of-2 free throws, giving the Bulls an 84-78 advantage.

Redd missed a 3-point jumper and following a tiemout, Bucks coach George Karl was slapped with his second techical and was ejected with 2:12 left.

"I got my technicals for saying what everyone in the gym knows," Karl said. "They took three fastbreaks from us in a row (with the offensive foul calls). Why hit a coach with a technical with two minutes to go in this type of game. I never even had that happen to me in the CBA."

Anthony hit on the technical free throw. After Mason scored on a layup with 1:42 remaining, Mercer drilled a jumper from the left sideline to give the Bulls an 87-80 advantage with 1:19 left.

The Bucks held a 43-37 halftime advantage before Artest sparked the Bulls in the third quarter, scoring 10 of his points in a 19-7 run.