Bucks Do Just Enough

The Milwaukee Bucks fixed all of their Game 1 mistakes except one, which was just good enough to get a win.

Gary Payton scored 22 points, Sam Cassell had 21 and the Bucks overcame three missed free throws in the final 10.4 seconds and 11 missed free throws in 20 attempts to defeat New Jersey, 88-85, Tuesday and even their best-of-seven first-round series, 1-1.

“I’d rather we have just one problem than as many as we had after the first game,” Toni Kukoc said.

Payton and everyone around him played much better than they did in the series opener, when Milwaukee fell behind by as many as 31 points.

This time, it was the Bucks who thrived on the fastbreak, dictated the tempo and played determined defense to seize the home-court advantage heading into Game 3 Thursday night at Milwaukee.

“That other game was a blowout because we didn’t come to play. Today we came to play, and this is the way playoff basketball should be -- tit-for-tat, going back and forth, and giving the fans a good game,” Payton said.

Milwaukee shot 45% at the free-throw line after shooting only 50% in Game 1. The Nets outrebounded the Bucks, 45-34, but Payton and Cassell more than made up for it by carrying Milwaukee’s offense in a game in which there were 30 lead changes and 18 ties. Neither team led by more than five.

The Bucks still couldn’t stop Kenyon Martin, who had 22 points and 12 rebounds, but they prevented Jason Kidd from again dominating the point guard matchup, and they limited the Nets to only nine fast-break points.

Martin scored on a putback with 11.1 seconds left to cut the Bucks’ lead to one at 86-85. Jason Collins fouled Cassell before the Bucks inbounded the ball, Cassell made the free throw, and Milwaukee retained possession.

Tim Thomas was fouled intentionally with 10.4 seconds left, but he missed both free throws. Thomas, a 78% free-throw shooter, made only three of eight.

The Nets inbounded to Kidd, who dribbled right, spun left and tried an 18-footer that hit the rim and missed. Desmond Mason grabbed the rebound and was fouled, missing the first and then making the second to keep New Jersey in it.

But on the final play, Rodney Rogers tripped over Payton’s foot while running to catch Lucious Harris’ inbounds pass. The Bucks picked up the loose ball as the final buzzer sounded.