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Quinn leads lowly Heat past Bucks

Mar 25, 2008 - 5:42 AM MIAMI (Ticker) -- Chris Quinn scored 24 points to lead the Miami Heat to a 78-73 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.

Quinn added four rebounds, four assists and four steals for the Heat, who improved to 7-29 at home this season. Filling in for Jason Williams who missed the game with a sprained right thumb, Quinn was 8-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-5 from the arc.

Earl Barron and Joel Anthony each scored 11 points for Miami, which welcomed back coach Pat Riley and snapped a three-game losing skid. Riley missed the Heat's last two games to scout the NCAA Tournament.

The Bucks fell to 6-28 on the road by losing to the Heat for the second time in six days. Miami is 2-11 in its last 13 games, with both wins against Milwaukee, which is now the only team the Heat have beaten twice this season.

"It was certainly one of the old grind-out games. I mean they're desperate as (heck). They're right on the brink of being eliminated," Riley said. "It was a fun game to coach and watch even though it wasn't one of those free-flowing games, but the guys played really hard."

Quinn and rookie Daequan Cook each made a pair of free throws in the final minute to help the Heat hold on.

"It's fun being out there in the fourth quarter in a tight game," Quinn said. "Your adrenaline kicks up a bit. To have the ball in your hands down the stretch, it's a lot of fun." Milwaukee has not won consecutive games since February 23 and 26. The Bucks had a chance to do so Monday but shot just 36 percent (27-of-76) from the field.

"We just kind of went through the motions and thought it was going to be easier than it was," Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak said. "We got beat by a group of scrappers that are trying to find their way. A lot of them are trying to make the league. They played hard and scrapped, and we didn't make plays."

Milwaukee led 25-17 after the first quarter but scored just 25 points combined in the second and third and trailed 54-50 entering the fourth.

Michael Redd scored 24 points and Andrew Bogut had 16 and 17 rebounds for the Bucks, who continued their slide toward a last-place finish in the Central Division.

"The total was low tonight, one, because we turned the ball over, two, we're missing shots. That didn't help," Redd said. "Give Miami credit. They came out hard, too. They're still an NBA team, without their (main) guys, but it's a game we thought we should have won, though."