(REUTERS) — The Milwaukee Bucks fixed almost all of their Game 1 mistakes, except for their free-throw shooting. That one flaw made for some anxious final moments, but the Bucks still came away with a win.
Gary Payton had 22 points, Sam Cassell added 21, and the Bucks overcame three missed free throws in the final 10.4 seconds and 11 botched foul shots overall to defeat the New Jersey Nets 88-85 Tuesday night to tie their first-round series at one game apiece.
Payton and everyone around him had a much better game than they did in the series opener, when Milwaukee fell behind by as many as 31.
This time, it was the Bucks who thrived on the fast break and played determined defense. Game 3 is Thursday night at Milwaukee.
Milwaukee finished just 9-of-20 at the line after shooting only 50 percent in Game 1. The Bucks were out-rebounded 45-34, but Payton and Cassell more than made up for it by carrying Milwaukee’s offense in a game in which neither team led by more than four points.
The Bucks still couldn’t stop Kenyon Martin, who had 22 points and 12 rebounds, but they prevented Jason Kidd from dominating the point-guard matchup, as he did in Game 1. Milwaukee also limited the Nets to just nine fast-break points.
Martin scored on a putback with 11.1 seconds left to cut the Bucks’ lead to 86-85, and Jason Collins fouled Cassell before the Bucks inbounded the ball. Cassell made the free throw, and Milwaukee retained possession.
Tim Thomas was fouled intentionally with 10.4 seconds left, but he missed both free throws. A 78 percent foul shooter during the regular season, Thomas went just 3-for-8 from the line.
The Nets inbounded to Kidd, who dribbled right, spun left and tried an 18-footer that hit the rim and missed. Desmond Mason grabbed the rebound and was fouled, missing the first and then making the second to keep New Jersey in it. But on the final play, Rodney Rogers tripped while running to catch Lucious Harris’ inbounds pass. The Bucks picked up the loose ball as the final buzzer sounded.
Payton let everyone know right away that he wouldn’t have a repeat of his offensive struggles in Game 1, when he was held scoreless for the first 43 minutes. Payton connected on his first three shots — a jumper, a runner and a turnaround — as Milwaukee stayed right with the Nets from the beginning.
The Bucks found a way to repeatedly get Kidd to switch to Thomas in the low post, and Thomas used his height advantage to score three consecutive times over Kidd. The first quarter ended in a 26-26 tie, with Payton scoring 10 and Kidd committing four turnovers.
With Milwaukee taking away the fast break, Kidd didn’t get untracked offensively until late in the second quarter. He weaved through three defenders to feed Aaron Williams for a dunk at the end of the second quarter to produce a 49-49 deadlock at halftime.
The Nets took their first lead of the fourth quarter with 5:26 left, on Martin’s jump hook. New Jersey held the lead until Thomas hit a 3-pointer with 2:57 left to put the Bucks up 82-81. Toni Kukoc followed with a steal, leading to a breakaway layup by Cassell.
Kidd’s jumper with 2:24 left made it a one-point game, but Kukoc answered with a post-up basket, and the Nets had two turnovers and two missed shots among their next four possessions.
Game notes:
Kidd landed on top of his 4-year-old son, T.J., while chasing a ball out of bounds late in the fourth quarter. T.J. was reduced to tears, but he was OK by the time New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey checked on him a few minutes later during a timeout. … Nets reserve C Dikembe Mutombo played only eight minutes, sitting out the entire second half. … Thomas and Joel Przybilla replaced rookie Marcus Haislip and Ervin Johnson in Milwaukee’s starting lineup.
