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Bucks-Grizzlies Preview

Nov 21, 2009 - 6:08 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Milwaukee (6-3) at Memphis (3-8), 8:00 p.m. EDT

For the second consecutive season, the Milwaukee Bucks are trying to overcome injuries to some key players. Thanks to Brandon Jennings, they've fared well through the adversity so far.

Coming off a successful homestand, Jennings and the Bucks open a four-game road trip Saturday night against the surging Memphis Grizzlies.

Milwaukee (7-3) begins the trip with starters Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute all nursing injuries.

While Redd expects to return at some point on the trip, he'll likely miss his ninth straight game with a strained left knee Saturday. Mbah a Moute (sprained left foot) could miss a third straight contest. Bogut, who was averaging 16.1 points and 9.2 rebounds, is out two to four weeks after straining a ligament in his calf during a 99-85 victory over New Jersey on Wednesday.

Last season, the Bucks went 10-23 without Bogut and Redd, who both missed a large portion of the schedule.

"You don't ever want times like this, that's for sure," Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles said. "Last year when it happened we weren't able to hold it together, so hopefully having a deeper team that we have we can weather it a little bit better."

So far they have. The Bucks are 6-2 without the high-scoring Redd, and they won 95-88 over Charlotte on Friday in their first game without Bogut.

Jennings, the 10th overall pick in June's draft, had 29 points against the Bobcats and Hakim Warrick added 16 as Milwaukee concluded a 5-1 homestand to continue its best start since opening 9-1 in 2001.

Jennings is averaging 25.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 51.9 percent from 3-point range. He scored 55 points for a Milwaukee rookie record in a win over Golden State last Saturday.

"You'd be hard pressed to find a rookie's first 10 games better than this," Skiles said.

Averaging 10.3 points per contest, Warrick returns to Memphis after spending his first four seasons with the Grizzlies.

Though Memphis (4-8) snapped a five-game losing streak in this series with a 107-102 road win in the teams' last meeting April 4, the Bucks have won three in a row at the FedEx Forum.

Milwaukee, 1-2 on the road, plays four games in seven days on its first lengthy stretch away from home. After Memphis, the Bucks visit San Antonio, New Orleans and Oklahoma City.

"We're going to try to go in and get all the wins we can," Jennings said. "It's going to be a long week."

Milwaukee could be in for a tough time against a Memphis team that won 102-97 at Philadelphia on Friday for its third straight victory since losing seven in a row.

Rudy Gay tied his season high with 33 points and Marc Gasol added 19 with eight rebounds as the Grizzlies shot 51.9 percent for their first road win.

"It really helps to build confidence, which a young team needs," said Gasol, who's averaging 15.3 points and 10.8 boards this season.

Gasol averaged 18.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in two games against the Bucks last season. Gay, meanwhile, is averaging 21.6 points this season and 24.3 on 50.7 percent shooting in his last four versus Milwaukee.

Memphis won a season-high four consecutive games twice last season.