Thursday, April 22, 2004
Michael Redd scored a career playoff-high 26 points for Milwaukee.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Damon Jones looked directly into a television camera and shouted at all those who have already penciled the Detroit Pistons into at least the second round.
"You didn't think we were going to win!" the Milwaukee point guard screamed.
Michael Redd scored a career playoff-high 26 points and Milwaukee held on to beat the Pistons 92-88 on Wednesday night to even the series at 1-1.
The Bucks, the only road team to win in the NBA playoffs this year, led by 15 with 3:13 remaining and needed a costly miscue by Detroit to escape with the victory.
"It probably would've destroyed us if we lost because of the way we played," said Redd, who bounced back after an 11-point performance in Game 1.
Jones, a former Detroit player, was smiling and joking after the Bucks' victory, but he almost cost Milwaukee the game.
With a two-point lead, he stepped to the line with 9.5 seconds remaining -- and clanged both free throws off the rim.
"I concentrated too hard," Jones explained.
With a chance to tie it or put Detroit ahead, Rasheed Wallace took a pass in the corner, mishandled the ball and it went out of bounds with 4.1 seconds to go.
"I ain't making no excuses," Wallace said. "It just slipped out of my hands."
Redd then made two free throws to seal the win.
"I'm not buying into the fact that we're going to lay down and give this series away," Redd said. "We definitely want to win it."
Chauncey Billups led Detroit with 20 points before fouling out. Richard Hamilton had 18 points before fouling out and being ejected with a second technical foul with 4:58 remaining.
Poor performance
Detroit coach Larry Brown was disgusted with his team's play, and thought the Pistons -- 6-of-25 from 3-point range -- settled for too many outside shots.
"We'd get an offensive rebound and jack up a 3," he said.
Brown said he could not brag about the Pistons' effort down the stretch because the Bucks went home with what they wanted.
"They came here to win one game," Brown said. "You have to give them credit. They got humiliated in Game 1, and came back. Now we have to show our character and bounce back."
Redd, the Bucks' leading scorer, responded well to his lackluster performance in Game 1.
He made his first three shots, two of them 3-pointers.
"I tried to explain to him, he's an All-Star now, so he's going to be a big target, especially come playoff games," Milwaukee coach Terry Porter said.
Wallace had 16 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Ben Wallace had seven points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
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