Ruben Patterson scored 14 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and the struggling Milwaukee Bucks beat the Orlando Magic 116-111 on Tuesday night in Milwaukee to snap a four-game losing streak.
The Bucks won their seventh straight at home against the Magic but have still lost 15 of their last 18 games overall, in part because Michael Redd remains sidelined with a sprained left knee.
Milwaukee hopes to hit its stride when Redd returns as early as this week from an absence of at least 16 games. Regardless, the Bucks finally found the much-needed offense they've been missing since his departure.
Patterson was the big reason why. He scored eight straight points as Milwaukee seized control late in the fourth quarter, starting with a free throw to make it 99-94. On the Bucks' next possession, he hit a desperation, 29-foot rainbow 3-pointer before Dwight Howard answered with an alley-oop slam to make it 102-96.
Next, Patterson picked off Jameer Nelson's pass, the 17th and final turnover of the game for the Magic, and was grabbed hard on the ensuing fast break by Hedo Turkoglu, who was whistled for a flagrant foul.
Patterson hit both free throws, then followed Mo Williams' miss with an emphatic dunk off the carom to give the Bucks a 106-96 advantage with 3:23 left. Orlando never got closer than the final margin as both teams traded free throws. Milwaukee finished 29-of-46 from the line, while Orlando was 26-of-38.
PISTONS 109, CELTICS 102: At Auburn Hills, Mich., Chauncey Billups scored 24 points and Antonio McDyess added 18 in just 20 minutes to help the Detroit Pistons hand the Boston Celtics their 15th straight loss. The Celtics, who extended the worst losing streak in franchise history, haven't won since a 128-119 victory in Memphis on Jan. 5. They have allowed at least 100 points in five straight games. Ryan Gomes led Boston with 19 points, despite only playing four minutes in the second half.
KNICKS 102, CLIPPERS 90: At New York, Stephon Marbury scored 12 of his 15 points in an early second-half run that overwhelmed the Clippers and turned the game around for New York. Jamal Crawford and Eddy Curry each scored 23 points to lead New York, which shot poorly and defended worse in the first two quarters before controlling the second half of its second consecutive victory. Elton Brand had 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Clippers, who lost for the third time in 10 games and fell to 1-2 on their seven-game Eastern trip. Reserve Tim Thomas also had 22 points.
ROCKETS 98, GRIZZLIES 90: At Memphis, Tenn., Tracy McGrady scored 33 points and had eight assists to lead the Rockets over the Grizzlies. Houston won for the sixth time in the last seven games while Memphis, which has the worst record in the NBA, has lost three straight. Pau Gasol led Memphis with 30 points and 13 rebounds. Mike Miller added 12 points, but was only 5-for-17 from the field. Lawrence Roberts finished with 10 points.