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Jennings leads Bucks past Minnesota

Oct 18, 2009 - 4:25 AM MILWAUKEE(AP) -- Rookie Brandon Jennings made the most of his first preseason start, scoring 16 points and handing out seven assists to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 101-87 victory over the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.

Michael Redd, who missed the final 35 games of last season with torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee, added 15 points for the Bucks. Andrew Bogut, who missed the final 31 games of the 2008-09 campaign with an injured lower back, added 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Redd was impressed with Jennings.

"He played awesome, played awesome," Redd said. "He was incredible all night as far as his vision, being aggressive to the rim, knocking down his shots. He really kind of controlled the game. That's what we're going to ask him to do this year."

Rookie Jonny Flynn, the No. 6 pick in the 2009 draft, had 19 points for Minnesota, which lost its fourth straight preseason game.

The Timberwolves were playing their first game without Kevin Love, the NBA's leading rookie rebounder last season. Love broke his left, non-shooting hand on Friday night in Minnesota's loss to the Chicago Bulls and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.

"His presence rebounding the ball, defensively and toughness - we're certainly going to miss him," Minnesota coach Kurt Rambis said.

Flynn agreed.

"Oh, definitely," he said. "You can see it out there rebounding-wise and offensively. He gets double digits every night. We need to have a five-man effort. Definitely going to practice and work on everybody crashing the board. I'm going to have to come and scrape in and get some rebounds. It's going to be a team effort."

Free-agent acquisition Hakim Warrick had 15 points for Milwaukee, which outrebounded Minnesota 44-35.

The 20-year-old Jennings, the 10th overall pick in the 2009 draft and two years removed from high school after playing in Italy last season, did most of his damage in the first half. He made his first five shots and had 14 points and five assists before halftime.

He came in shooting just 28.8 percent in the preseason.

"I was a little nervous," Jennings said. "The jitters were going. I think Mike Redd made it easy. He kept making shots. He was getting himself going, so that got my confidence going.

"After that, we just took off."

Jennings got involved early, going 4-for-4 from the field and picking up four assists - three on Redd jumpers - less than seven minutes into the first quarter.

But, at the other end, Flynn made four of his first five shots against Jennings and scored nine points in the first.

"I still have to work on defense," Jennings said. "Guys in the NBA are so good it's kind of hard to stay in front of them. But I still have got to make that effort."

The Bucks led 58-41 at halftime and maintained a comfortable lead throughout, leading by as many as 22.

Corey Brewer added 13 points for Minnesota.

"There was too much time that we walked the ball up the floor, didn't get into position and didn't move the ball," Rambis said.

Bucks coach Scott Skiles picked up a technical foul with 4.9 seconds left in the third quarter after arguing a call against Luke Ridnour. Ridnour was whistled for a foul while diving for a loose ball with Flynn. Ridnour protested loudly, and Skiles stepped in, picking up the technical after several seconds of protesting.

"Thank you!" Skiles yelled after Byron Jarrett whistled him for the technical.

NOTES: Bogut said he is feeling stronger after playing a preseason-high 24 minutes. "The legs are still getting there, as far as shooting in the post," he said. "Otherwise, I felt good." ... Timberwolves F Al Jefferson sat out the fourth quarter because of Achilles' tendinitis. ... Jennings had made six of 33 shots in his last three preseason games, including 2-of-13 against the Bulls on Tuesday.