Jones, Hornets Stop Bucks

Ten minutes after the final buzzer, the Milwaukee locker room was empty. The Bucks were too busy and maybe too distraught to lament the opportunity they let slip away.

Eddie Jones hit seven 3-pointers, including one that tied the game with 23.9 seconds left in regulation, as the Charlotte Hornets took away Milwaukee's grip on a playoff spot with a 109-106 overtime victory Friday night.

The Bucks didn't have time to wallow in should-have-beens. They bolted from the Bradley Center after the game to catch a flight to Washington, where they play the Wizards on Saturday night. A letdown loss there would put the Bucks' playoff chances on life-support.

"My big concern is just finding some energy tomorrow," Karl said. "We've got to put something in the gas tank and win that basketball game."

In overtime, the Hornets scored on their first five possessions before weathering one more comeback attempt.

"We should have put it away, but we have to let it go now," Milwaukee's Tim Thomas said. "This isn't over. It's still in our hands."

Milwaukee (39-40) began the night with the same record as the Orlando Magic and own the tiebreaker edge over the Magic by virtue of three wins over Orlando this season.

But the Bucks' loss and Orlando's 96-88 victory over the New Jersey Nets put the Magic (40-39) one game in frot of Milwaukee for the eighth seed. Both teams have three games left, including a head-to-head meeting Monday night at Orlando.

"It's a tough loss, but it's not a devastating loss because we still would have needed to win in Orlando," Karl said. "I still think it will all come down to that game in Orlando on Monday night."

Charlotte had just one basket in the final 4:48 of regulation as Milwaukee erased an 11-point deficit with an energetic rally. Robinson, who had a season-high 38 points, hit two difficult jumpers in the final 1:09 and gave Milwaukee a 93-90 lead with 36 seconds left.

But Jones, who led the Hornets with 29 points, hit a long 3-pointer to tie the score at 93. For one of the few times during the game, the Bucks weren't double-teaming Jones.

"He's an All-Star," Hornets coach Paul Silas said. "He's supposed to do that."

Charlotte (46-33), which won for the 11th time in 13 games, erased a 16-point first-half deficit and remained a game behind Philadelphia for the fourth seed in the East. All five Hornets starters scored in double figures as their bench played just eight minutes and scored two points after halftime.

"We could have very easily let this one slip by. We've made the playoffs already," Silas said. "But that's not what we're about. We're playing to the bitter end to get the homecourt advantage."

In overtime, Charlotte grabbed four offensive rebounds and David Wesley hit two quick jumpers. Jones then hit another 3-pointer, and Elden Campbell added two dunks as the Hornets went up 106-99.

Thomas hit two straight 3-pointers in the final 30 seconds to make it close, but Wesley made two free throws with 6.6 seconds left and Ray Allen missed a 3-pointer as time expired.

"It was a game like that. One team would get hot, the other team would make a run," said Wesley, who scored 15 of his 24 points after halftime. "It was just the team with the last bit of juice left."

The Bucks were down 86-75 with 5:47 left, but an arguing technical foul on Campbell kick-started a frantic 18-4 Milwaukee rally. The Bucks went up by three points when Robinson, who had 24 points in the second half and overtime, hit another jumper over Anthony Mason with 36 seconds left.

Milwaukee, which had its three-game winning streak snapped, got 26 points from Allen and 16 points but just four after halftime and 11 assists from Sam Cassell. The Bucks have not won four straight gmes this season.

Derrick Coleman added 10 points and 12 rebounds for Charlotte, and Campbell finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.

Charlotte began the second half with a 23-7 run. Coleman had eight points during the run, and the Hornets took a 77-67 lead entering the fourth.

Notes