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Knight and Bucks down sliding Lakers

Jan 1, 2014 - 6:23 AM Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Brandon Knight had a career-high 37 points with eight rebounds and four steals to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 94-79 win over the Los Angeles Lakers from Staples Center.

Ersan Ilyasova recorded a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Luke Ridnour added 11 points in the win for the Bucks, who snapped a three- game losing skid.

"Our start helped a great deal," said Bucks coach Larry Drew. "Brandon played a terrific game at both ends. We fed off him."

Pau Gasol and Nick Young each donated 25 points in Los Angeles' season-high sixth straight loss.

Kendall Marshall finished with 10 points and seven assists in the loss.

LA starters Jodie Meeks, Shawne Williams, and Jordan Farmar combined for nine points on 4-for-19 from the field.

"We're struggling," said Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni. "When you start the game behind 21-4 we didn't play well. We're down at the bottom."

The Bucks opened the game on a methodical 14-0 run over the first 6 1/2 minutes of the first quarter thanks in large part because the Lakers were 0- for-11 from the field. Ilyasova and Knight each scored six points in the run.

Gasol knocked down a jumper to get Los Angeles on the board at the 5:08 mark.

Milwaukee pushed the lead to 21-4 and led 23-12 heading into the second.

The Bucks maintained their double-digit lead for much of the second stanza, but LA scored the final five points of the quarter to cut the deficit to 42-33 at halftime.

Knight and Khris Middleton opened and closed a 12-4 surge with a pair of 3s late in the third quarter to give the Bucks their largest lead of the game, 72-50.

The Lakers, however, showed some fight and outscored the visitors 10-2 over the final 1:57 to trail 74-60 heading into the fourth.

Milwaukee scored the first six points of the fourth to take a 20-point lead, but Gasol scored six during an 8-0 run to pull back within 12, 80-68, at the midway point of the quarter.

Marshall then knocked down a 3 and Gasol hit 1-of-2 from the line as the Lakers crept back within nine.

The comeback was too late, however, as Ilyasova hit a layup with just over two minutes remaining to stretch the lead back to double figures.

Game Notes

The 33 first half points were the lowest in an opening half this season for LA ... Gasol's bucket to open the game helped him pass Pete Maravich (15,948) for 100th on the NBA's all-time scoring list ... Milwaukee shot 44 percent from the field, while LA shot 35.8 percent.