Bucks 94, 76ers 92
MILWAUKEE -- Monta Ellis scored 27 points, including a floater with 9:21 left in the game that gave the Milwaukee Bucks their first lead of the game in a 94-92 victory over Philadelphia on Wednesday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
Ellis combined with backcourt partner Brandon Jennings for 31 points in the second half, shooing a combined 12-of-25 from the field as Milwaukee snapped a season-high four-game losing streak.
The Bucks extended their lead over Philadelphia to four games for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Jennings finished with 21 points, five assists and four steals. Samuel Dalembert, again starting in place of injured Larry Sanders, added 17 with 14 rebounds and three blocked shots.
Philadelphia seemed to have control from the beginning, but fell apart down the stretch, losing for the third time in four games.
Evan Turner led a group of four 76ers to score in double-digits, finishing with 20 points. Spencer Hawes scored 19 points, while Jrue Holiday added 16 and Nick Young had 14.
The 76ers shot 56 percent and went 9-of-10 from the free-throw line to take a 50-43 lead at halftime.
Milwaukee rallied after the break and got to within 58-57 on Jennings 3-pointer, but an 8-0 run by Philadelphia made it 66-57 with 5:20 left in the third.
Two free throws and a layup by Ellis halted the run and put the Bucks within five.
Lavoy Allen missed one of two free throws for Philadelphia, and after missing the chance to convert a three-point play, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute grabbed his own rebound and Ellis found Dalembert to cut the lead to 67-65 with 3:34 left in the third.
Dunleavy tied the game, 67-67, but the 76ers finished strong and went into the final quarter ahead, 75-72.
NOTES: A bruised back kept Milwaukee's Larry Sanders out of the lineup for the fourth consecutive game. The Bucks lost the first three. "We miss him," Milwaukee coach Jim Boylan said. "We miss him dearly." The league leader in blocked shots, Sanders underwent additional testing on the back, but the Bucks have not received those results. ... Philadelphia's Thaddeus Young missed his fourth game because of a left hamstring strain. ... Philadelphia was playing its first road game since visiting Milwaukee on Jan. 22. The 76ers had lost 14 of their previous 17 road games and were 6-15 this season away from the Wells Fargo Center ... The Bucks lead Philadelphia in the race for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff race. "This is a two-game swing for us, so obviously it's very big," 76ers coach Doug Collins said. Milwaukee won the teams' previous two meetings this season. The two teams face off one more time, March 27 in Philadelphia ... Milwaukee's Mike Dunleavy Jr. entered the night fifth in the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage, having hit 44 percent of his attempts.
