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Undermanned Bucks down Lakers

Jan 29, 2012 - 5:54 AM Milwaukee, WI (Sports Network) - Drew Gooden had 23 points and the Milwaukee Bucks never trailed in the last 36-plus minutes of a 100-89 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.

The Lakers lost for the fourth time in five games and fell to 1-7 on the road this season, while Milwaukee opened a three-game home stand with a win despite missing two of its best players.

Ersan Ilyasova and Mike Dunleavy scored 15 points apiece off the bench and sparked a 17-0 run in between the first and second quarter that gave the Bucks the lead for good.

Kobe Bryant had 27 points, nine assists and eight rebounds to lead Los Angeles while Pau Gasol chipped in 12 points and 15 rebounds.

"I can only speak about tonight (but) Milwaukee was a much more physical team defensively," said Bryant. "They made it uncomfortable."

Milwaukee was without injured center Andrew Bogut, who will miss up to three months with a fractured left ankle; and guard Stephen Jackson, who served a one-game suspension for verbally abusing an official and not leaving the court in a timely manner against the Bulls on Friday.

The Bucks have won two straight games over the Lakers after losing six in a row before that.

Their 17-0 run between the first and second quarters gave them a 34-23 lead that lasted the whole game, although the Lakers drew close later on. Ilyasova and Dunleavy both scored five points during the burst with Dunleavy's three- point play capping it.

Brandon Jennings, who scored 12 for Milwaukee, said the bench players are really helping out.

"They come in and pick us up and are playing a big part in our success," he said.

The Lakers went without a made field goal for more than four minutes until Andrew Goudelock's three-pointer ended the drought inside the 10-minute mark of the second quarter.

Los Angeles shot 50 percent in the second quarter -- Derek Fisher had all seven of his points in the frame -- but trailed 51-43 at halftime.

The Lakers cut an 11-point deficit to three with a 14-6 run near the end of the third quarter, drawing within 76-73 on Goudelock's three-pointer. But the Bucks got baskets from Gooden and Ilyasova to carry an 80-73 lead into the fourth.

Later, the Lakers were within four points on Bryant's jumper inside five minutes. Milwaukee, though, scored the next six points for a 91-81 lead on Gooden's free throws and LA never got closer than eight in the final three minutes.

Game Notes

Goudelock scored 13 off the bench and Andrew Bynum added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who started a stretch where they play eight of nine games on the road...Milwaukee's three-game homestand also includes visits from Detroit and Miami.