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Redd, Bucks beat Lakers to remain perfect at home

Nov 22, 2007 - 5:21 AM By Nick Berenz PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) - Michael Redd scored 26 points to lead six others in double figures as the Milwaukee Bucks posted a 110-103 triumph over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.

Mo Williams collected 18 points and nine assists and Charlie Villanueva chipped in 14 and nine rebounds off the bench for Milwaukee, which improved to 5-0 at the Bradley Center.

Known mostly for his shooting ability, Redd pulled down eight boards and handed out seven assists.

"I was just trying to flow and not get too caught up in it," Redd said of the head-to-head matchup with Kobe Bryant. "He challenged me, he has a tenacity to want to be the best at both ends of the floor."

"I think I worked with (Redd) a little too much this summer," Bryant said. "I learned some things from him and I think he learned a few things from me, but it was huge for him to do it on both ends of the floor."

The Bucks were carried by Redd through the first three quarters, but in the fourth, the rest of his teammates stepped forward as Andrew Bogut and Bobby Simmons hit key shots down the stretch.

Bogut scored eight of his 13 points in the period after being limited to just six first-half minutes due to early foul trouble.

Reigning two-time scoring champion, Bryant led the way with 27 points for the Lakers, who had their four-game winning streak ended.

Despite trailing by as many as 11 in the second quarter and being outscored, 20-4, from the free-throw line in the first half, the Bucks only trailed 47-46 at the break thanks to a 31-13 run.

"It was the same story, we came out slow and a little bit tentative," Bucks coach Larry Kryskowiak said. "The guys have been pretty resilient the last couple nights and the rim opened up for them a little bit down the stretch."

Milwaukee trailed, 80-77, at the start of the fourth before taking the lead for good behind a 13-3 surge to begin the period. Bogut and Simmons scored eight points combined in the run.

Vladimir Radmanovic's 3-pointer cut Los Angeles' deficit to 94-90 at the 4:07 mark. But Villanueva drained a shot from the arc and Bogut hit an eight-footer to rebuild a nine-point edge.

"I just started to get my wind back in the fourth quarter," Bogut said. "I wasn't feeling well at all, I got here late because I got food poisoning in Cleveland."

"We didn't shoot the ball well," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We had guys shooting that shouldn't have been shooting down the stretch."

At halftime, Lakers special assistant Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had his No. 33 jersey re-dedicated. He led Milwaukee to its lone NBA title during the 1970-71 campaign.

Drafted No. 1 overall by the Bucks in 1969, Abdul-Jabbar heads the franchise's all-time record books in several categories - including scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage.

Abdul-Jabbar's young protege, Lakers center Andrew Bynum, registered his sixth double-double this season with 16 points and a season-best 13 boards.