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Bucks finish strong to beat Wizards

Dec 31, 2011 - 4:31 AM Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Brandon Jennings scored 22 points, and the Milwaukee Bucks used a strong fourth quarter to record a 102-81 rout of the Wizards on Friday.

Andrew Bogut ended with 13 points and 15 rebounds for the Bucks, who outscored the Wizards by a 24-14 margin over the final 12 minutes. The effort came after Milwaukee scored just 13 points in the third quarter.

The Bucks, who got 16 points from Ersan Ilyasova, will carry a two-game winning streak into their five-game western road trip. They will start the journey in Denver on Monday, while also making visits to Utah, Sacramento, Los Angeles and Phoenix.

Jordan Crawford scored 24 points off the bench to lead the Wizards, who fell to 0-3. After dropping its season-opener against New Jersey by a 90-84 score, Washington had lost its last two games by a combined 39 points.

The Wizards fell behind toward the end of the first quarter, when Ilyasova and Jennings hit back-to-back threes. Ilyasova followed with a layup to extend Milwaukee's lead to 13, and the Bucks carried a 36-24 advantage into the second quarter -- which they dominated.

Milwaukee made 12-of-23 shots while holding the Wizards to eight field goals. The Bucks led by as many as 24, including when Carlos Delfino's three-pointer with 41.9 seconds to play gave Milwaukee a 65-41 halftime margin.

The Wizards held the Bucks to just four field goals in the third quarter, but Milwaukee's lead was substantial enough that it could maintain a 78-67 lead heading into the fourth.

The Bucks cemented the victory with an eight-point burst that Jennings ended with consecutive buckets. The run gave Milwaukee a 96-77 lead with 3:39 to go.

Game Notes

Milwaukee forward Drew Gooden was eligible to return from his one-game suspension, which he incurred for a flagrant foul in Monday's game against Charlotte. However, he was a coach's decision to sit out...Delfino scored 15 points off the Bucks' bench...Rashard Lewis added 14 points for the Wizards.