Bucks Shoot Hawks To The Ground

In an otherwise ugly game, Dell Curry sure had a good-looking shot.

Curry scored 20 points and hit two crucial 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as the Milwaukee Bucks sent the short-handed Atlanta Hawks to their fourth straight defeat, 91-84 Tuesday night.

Atlanta, already without guard Steve Smith (knee), forward LaPhonso Ellis (hernia) and guard Anthony Johnson (suspension), lost forward Alan Henderson to a bruised tailbone after he landed on his back following a second-quarter dunk.

Henderson, who had 10 points in 13 minutes, drove from the left side of the lane and slammed the ball while off-balance. His right foot hit Bucks forward Chris Gatling and he landed on his back, leaving him with a bruised tailbone and a stiff neck.

"That might have been the best I felt all year, too," lamented Henderson, who's day-to-day. "I was feeling good, real good. Now, I'm sore. It was like a whiplash. I got my wind knocked out at first. My upper back hurts real bad right now. So does my tailbone."

The depleted Hawks still managed to outrebound Milwaukee 43-32, including 25-10 in the first half, when the Bucks were limited to just one offensive rebound.

"It wasn't a pretty game," Bucks coach George Karl admitted. "We were helped by their injuries and their suspension. We won. Probably not with the prettiness I would have liked, but we'll go home tonight happy."

Thanks to Curry, whose last 3 made it 82-76 with 3½ minutes left.

"I think tonight they were playing some rookies in Jeff Sheppard and Ed Gray and I thought because of that we had some easier looks for Dell," Karl said. "Dell's had a great year for us. I don't think you'd see us as mentally prepared and tough without Dell Curry."

Ray Allen agreed: "With the ease he has behind the 3-point line, he's like an ssassin. When he goes out there and makes some 3s, he put a nail in the opponents' heart."

"Every time we're in a situation when we need a basket or a lift, Dell can come in and give that to us," Allen added. "That's something we really haven't had in the past."

Allen and Glenn Robinson each added 18 points on the first night of a critical stretch in which the Bucks, shooting for their first playoff berth in eight seasons, play three home games in four nights.

Dikembo Mutombo scored 21 points, 10 in the first quarter, and Mookie Blaylock added 18 for Atlanta, which played without Johnson, who was suspended for a game and fined $5,000 for flagrantly elbowing Cleveland's Bobby Sura on Saturday.

Tim Thomas scored three baskets in a 12-0 run that put Milwaukee ahead 64-54 with 3½minutes left in the third quarter.

Mutombo, who was whistled for a technical after arguing a foul with 3:18 left in the period, got two free throws and a dunk and Gray scored the last six points of the quarter as the Hawks pulled to 67-66 after three quarters. Gray finished with 12, all in the second half.

But the Hawks left Curry open and failed to box out Allen too often.

"We failed to execute a few times. We let Ray Allen pick up two loose balls," Hawks coach Lenny Wilkens said. "And we left the 3-point shooters open. Instead of being one or two points down, we're down six."

Robinson swiped the ball from Chris Crawford on a breakaway and scored at the other end for a 75-70 lead with eight minutes left and the Hawks got no closer than three thereafter.

"We were right there and they took it from us," Mutombo said.

Notes: Bucks point guard Sam Cassell says he plans to return from a bum ankle for the final week of the regular season. Cassell was part of a three-team trade that sent Terrell Brandon to Minnesota and Stephon Marbury to New Jersey. ... The Bucks play seven of their next 10 at the Bradley Center, all against playoff contenders. ... Haywoode Workman had 10 first-half assists for Milwaukee. ... Allen was knocked into the stands by Tyrone Corbin in the third period but no foul was called.

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