Kings 97 - 90 Bucks
Final
  for this game

Bucks finish homestand vs. Kings

Mar 23, 2011 - 3:12 PM (Sports Network) - Time is running out on the Milwaukee Bucks and their quest for a playoff berth, as they close out a four-game homestand tonight versus the Sacramento Kings at the Bradley Center.

Milwaukee and Charlotte are both two games behind Indiana for the eighth and final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference with 13 games to go.

The Bucks have won two in a row since a three-game slide and improved to 2-1 on the homestand with Sunday's 100-95 victory over the New York Knicks. Carlos Delfino sank six three-pointers and finished with a career-high 30 points to go with 11 rebounds while John Salmons netted 22 points for Milwaukee.

"The good start carried us," Bucks head coach Scott Skiles said. "We got off to a great start and obviously we needed that cushion. That was big for us."

Luc Mbah a Moute had 19 points and Brandon Jennings fell one assist shy of a triple-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. The Bucks are hoping All-Star Michael Redd will make his return soon after undergoing knee surgery more than a year ago. He could play Friday against the Knicks.

The Bucks are 19-17 in Brew City this season.

Sacramento will resume a five-game road trip and have lost nine of 11 games overall. In Monday's 132-93 blowout loss at Chicago, Marcus Thornton had 25 points and Beno Udrih added 13 for the Kings, who are 1-1 on the trek and only 8-25 away from California's capital.

Francisco Garcia and DeMarcus Cousins finished with 12 and 11 points, respectively, in a losing effort. The Kings will also visit the Pacers and 76ers on the trip.

"Some of that is experience, some of that is execution, some of that is poor fundamentals and we have to improve in all areas," said Kings head coach Paul Westphal.

The Kings are still without reigning Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans due to a case of plantar fascitis in his left foot. They are 5-18 without the Philadelphia native in the lineup this season. Evans has missed 18 straight games. Thornton, meanwhile, has taken over the scoring with 20 or more points in five of the last six games. He is averaging 24.2 ppg in that stretch.

Cousins is posting 16.6 points and 10.5 boards in the last 11 contests.

Milwaukee beat Sacramento, 84-79, on Dec. 23 this season and has won two straight and four of the past five meetings.






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