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Herrmann scores career high as Bobcats finally beat Bucks

Mar 31, 2007 - 3:45 AM CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Rookie Walter Herrmann and the Charlotte Bobcats finally got over the hump against Michael Redd and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Herrmann scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds and the Bobcats used a big third quarter to post a 97-81 win over the Bucks.

Gerald Wallace added 24 points and Emeka Okafor scored 11 with 12 rebounds in just his second game back after missing the previous 15 with an injured calf for the Bobcats, who defeated the Bucks for the first time in 10 tries.

"Some teams just have your number," Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff said. "Milwaukee has had ours. The games have really been good ones. Somebody like Redd would make a play down the stretch. It wasn't like they were just handling us. We just didn't make plays when we had to (in the past)."

Milwaukee was the only Eastern Conference team Charlotte had not beaten since it came into the league in the 2004-05 season.

Herrmann, who was 11-of-15 from the floor, has scored in double figures in five of six games since March 20 when he saw his minutes rise significantly due to injuries.

"When I wasn't playing, I was going to keep working until the time I could contribute and now it's come," Herrmann said.

Herrman also contributed to shutting down Redd, who entered averaging 26.9 points against the Bobcats in eight career games. He was held to just 13 on 5-of-12 shooting.

"I don't think that I can completely stop the great players so what I try to do is defend them hard without the ball," Herrmann said.

Charlotte erased a three-point halftime deficit by forcing eight third-quarter turnovers and going on a 21-3 run to take a 64-49 lead. Wallace and Herrmann combined to score 13 of the 21 points. The Bobcats led, 73-58, heading into the fourth.

With Okafor back to alter shots, the Bobcats took more chances on defense.

"We're more aggressive," Wallace said. "We're playing the passing lanes and grabbing for steals, the little things that (we're not) hesitant to go for now that we have Emeka (Okafor) behind us to protect the basket."

The Bobcats scored 35 points of 24 Bucks turnovers for the game.

"We had way too many turnovers to start the third quarter," Earl Boykins said. "And that's what killed us tonight."

Ruben Patterson scored 14 points for the Bucks, who have the league's worst road record at 9-29. They have won just two of their last 21 on the road.