Bucks Outrun Timberwolves

The game was there for the taking, and the Milwaukee Bucks' backcourt grabbed it.

Guards Dell Curry, Ray Allen and Haywoode Workman combined for 19 of the Bucks' 22 fourth-quarter points in a 94-85 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

The score was tied at 72 after three quarters, but the Bucks held the Wolves to just 4 of 24 shooting in the fourth quarter while their backcourt went to work.

"This was a big effort on the road," Curry said. "This team has tremendous scorers and shooters, and we moved the ball well."

Curry's 20-foot jumper with 6:25 to play gave Milwaukee the lead for good, 81-80. He followed with a 3-pointer and Allen hit a 20-footer for a six-point lead.

After Terrell Brandon hit two free throws for Minnesota, Allen hit a 3-pointer for an 89-82 lead with 3:27 left. Workman scored Milwaukee's final five points

"Other than a few lapses in the first half, this was the most consistent we played all season," Bucks coach George Karl said. "One thing my team has shown is that we have confidence in the second half on defense."

Minnesota missed its final 15 shots from the field. The 13 fourth-quarter points matched the team's lowest output of the season.

"They made some big shots down the stretch and we didn't," Wolves coach Flip Saunders said. "When we needed to make them to stay in the flow of the game, we went totall cold."

Sam Mitchell led the Wolves with 20 points, and Kevin Garnett had 16 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists.

Minnesota point guard Terrell Brandon, playing his first game against his former team since being traded from the Bucks to the Wolves on March 11, had 13 points and five assists but turned the ball over six times.

"It was one of those games where the ball just took off on me," Brandon said. "You see your guy, throw the ball and someone intercepts it. It's a bit of a timing issue. It will come."

Karl even used 6-foot-10 Tim Thomas to defend the 5-foot-11 Brandon.

"We knew that Terrell likes to shoot the ball and it would be tougher for him to see over his defender," Allen said. "We had people ready to run at him if he got by Tim."

Meanwhile the Bucks got a big game at the point from Workman, who signed his second 10-day contract with the Bucks on Saturday. He had Bucks' team highs with 19 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.

"The thing about this team is that everyone wants to win," Workman said. "They were already a good team before I got here."

Notes:

• Wolves' forward Joe Smith missed his second consecutive game with a rib injury.
• The game had 19 lead changes and 12 ties.
• Milwaukee's bench outscored the Wolves' reserves 35-19, led by Curry's 15 points.
• The Wolves have gone 21 consecutive games without shooting 50 percent from the field. They were 27 of 54 through three quarters Sunday.
• Milwaukee leads the all-time series 10-9, with Minnesota having won eight of the past 12 meetings.
• The Wolves have broken 90 points only five times in 16 March games after averaging 97.8 points per game in February.

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