Cold front returns as Bucks fall to Knicks - Boston Herald

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NEW YORK — It was a tremendous opportunity for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Two starters were out of the lineup for the New York Knicks due to injuries — Amar’e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin — and the Bucks had a chance to close within one-half game of the Knicks in the Eastern Conference playoff chase.

But it all went to waste in an ugly 89-80 loss Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

Bucks starting guards Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings combined to shoot 8 for 36, with Ellis going 2 for 14 and scoring just four points.

The Bucks got a huge boost from Mike Dunleavy Jr., who scored 24 points in 13 first-half minutes and finished with a team-leading 26.

But Milwaukee (22-27) was outscored, 42-28, in the second half as it fell 21/2 games behind the Knicks (25-25) in the chase for the eighth and final conference playoff spot.

“It was right there for us to take it,” said Bucks center Drew Gooden, who struggled to a 2-of-9 shooting performance and scored just six points.

“We were down four points (late), but you might as well say it was a 10-point lead the way we were shooting the ball.”

A jumper by Gooden cut the Bucks’ deficit to 84-80 with 2:30 remaining, but Knicks guard Iman Shumpert made a huge three-pointer off an assist from Carmelo Anthony with 2:09 left to give New York a seven-point lead.

Several missed chances in the final 2 minutes symbolized the Bucks’ frustrating night.

“It was just one of those nights,” a dejected Ellis said in the locker room. “I’ve got to find it somehow.

“I believe I’m not doing what I should be doing to help this team. It’s frustrating, but we’ll get through it.”

Ellis missed several shots after getting to the rim, and Jennings was misfiring on his jumper before putting his head down and scoring on three drives in the fourth quarter.

Jennings was 6 for 22.

“It seems like only Mike Dunleavy was able to hit shots for us,” Jennings said. “He kept us in the game as much as he could.

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