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Bucks batter wiped-out Clippers

Dec 21, 2008 - 5:04 AM By Nick Berenz PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- The Milwaukee Bucks got healthy in time to take advantage of the exhausted Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

Richard Jefferson scored 22 points and Luke Ridnour chipped in 18 points and seven assists to lead the Bucks to an easy 119-85 win over the road-weary Clippers.

Playing in their fourth road game in five nights, including Friday's double-overtime win over the Indiana Pacers and Wednesday's overtime loss in Chicago, the Clippers looked sluggish from the opening tip.

The Bucks jumped to an 8-0 lead while the Clippers went scoreless until the 8:50 mark in the first. The Bucks took advantage of the Clippers' fatigue, shooting 75 percent in the quarter (15-of-20), collecting 18 points in the paint en route to a 37-15 lead at the end of one.

"We came out tonight and didn't have any legs, and Milwaukee jumped on us and didn't give us any life," Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy said. "All the minutes our guys have played, it's something you see with teams on the road."

Los Angeles' shooting woes continued in the second as it shot 6-of-17 in the quarter and scored just 17 points, trailing, 62-32, at the half.

"They've taken to heart playing unselfishly," Bucks head coach Scott Skiles said. "The guys appear to enjoy playing together, but it all starts on that defensive end."

The Bucks are enjoying their first stretch with a healthy lineup. The team went 5-9 while Michael Redd was shelved with an ankle injury, 0-3 when Andrew Bogut was out and 2-4 without Charlie Bell.

"We're starting to get healthy and things are starting to come together," Jefferson said. "We're playing better and more consistent."

The Bucks are 5-1 in their last six games at the Bradley Center. They put eight players in double figures against the Clippers.

"We made some progress this week and we need to build on that and not take a step back," Skiles added.

Zach Randolph, who had been the hottest player in the league over the last five games, averaging 30.8 points and 15.3 rebounds, went scoreless until the 9:23 mark in the third quarter and finished with four points on 2-of-11 shooting in 25 minutes.

The 6-9 forward acquired from the New York Knicks had eight double-doubles in his first 11 starts with his new team.

"His back was bothering him a little bit but he carried a big work load against a physical team in Indiana," Dunleavy said of Randolph.

Al Thornton scored 20 points for the Clippers, who shot 35 percent (28-of-82) compared to Milwaukee's 52 percent (46-of-89). The Bucks enjoyed a 51-40 advantage on the boards.

"We were kind of fatigued but everybody has that some nights," Thornton said. "We have to find a way to compete better than that."