Countdown egins for playoffs

The Journal Sentinel staff

Consistency.

It is the one word the Milwaukee Bucks can count on having pounded into their heads over and over again as the National Basketball Association's regular season heads into its final weeks.

And it's exactly what Bucks coach Mike Dunleavy believes will make or break his crew during its run for the playoffs over the final 10 games.

However, there will be no rest, as the next test for the up- and-down Bucks will be the defending Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks, who bring their rugged act to the Bradley Center on Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. contest.

"The thing you try and get is consistency," said Dunleavy, whose team remains in the thick of the race for the final berth in the Eastern playoffs. "You want to play good, consistent basketball.

"That means you have to defend, not turn the ball over, and go to the free-throw line more than the other team. If you do those things, you allow yourself the best chance to win. Those are things that allow you to win even when you're not playing all that good."

Defense. Turnovers. Free throws.

The Bucks experienced mixed results in all of those areas during their three-game Texas trip last week.

In Dallas against the Mavericks, the Bucks gave up 114 points. The Spurs rang up 118 in San Antonio. And Milwaukee lost both of those games.

In beating the Rockets, the Bucks limited short-handed Houston to just 87 points.

Combined, the Mavericks, Spurs and Rockets averaged 49.6% from the field against the Bucks, which is slightly above Milwaukee's already disappointing 49.3% season average.

In order to make a significant run at the playoffs, Dunleavy knows his team must step up on the defensive end of the court.

The Bucks averaged 18 turnovers in those three games, one above their season average. Milwaukee made 45 of 67 free throws (67.2%) on the trip compared to a combined 47 of 71 (66.2%).

In playing the Knicks for the third time this season, the Bucks will face a challenge similar to that offered by Houston and San Antonio.

The Knicks are anchored on both ends of the floor by all-pro center Patrick Ewing, who ranks among the league leaders in scoring, rebounding and shot- blocking.

New York plays a brand of defense, some call it thuggery, that can be stifling. And their 43.5% defensive field-goal percentage is the lowest in the NBA.

In guards John Starks, Derek Harper and Hubert Davis, the Knicks boast a trio of respectable three-point shooters who effectively offset Ewing's presence in the low post.

Heading into Tuesday's game against Indiana, Starks had already drilled a franchise-record 194 three-pointers, Davis had 107 and Harper had 99.

Starks, however, has been a streaky shooter and is shooting only 40% overall this season.

New York's biggest enemy at this point appears to be itself. There are continual reports of inner turmoil that threatens to tear apart the team. New York, however, continues to hold down the No. 3 position in the East and remain a much-respected team.

"If you look at the major contenders, they have an inside-outside game, they have tremendous defenders, and they rebound," Dunleavy said. "It's like the teams we've seen in the last week. San Antonio, a team we hadn't seen until this point of time, is one of the best teams we've seen.

"And a big key is they all have a big-time go-to guy."

One of the highlights of the Bucks' season perhaps the highlight was a 95-87 victory over the Knicks on Feb. 7 in Madison Square Garden.

The Bucks entered that contest with a 17-29 record, while New York stood tall at 29-15. But after falling behind after one quarter, 28-18, the Bucks outscored New York, 45-31, in the second half. The Knicks' 12 third-quarter and 31 second-half points were season lows.

"Obviously, they are one of the top teams and to beat them on the road . . .," Dunleavy said. "They had only six or seven losses at home.

"We did a great job. We defended well and executed down the stretch. After a tough start, we played well."

A repeat performance Wednesday night will go a long way toward boosting the Bucks' prospects of making the 1995 playoffs.

Copyright 1995
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