Allen Left Seeing Redd in Return to Milwaukee

Michael Redd put his friendship with former teammate Ray Allen aside to help the Milwaukee Bucks end Seattle’s three-game winning streak.

Redd scored 35 points on 14-for-25 shooting and defended Allen, leading the Bucks to a 99-73 victory over the SuperSonics on Sunday.

Shooting a season-low 29.4%, Seattle also had its lowest point total of the season, six points fewer than its Nov. 17 game at New Jersey.

“Personally, it wasn’t about Ray and me today,” Redd said. “It was about Milwaukee and the Sonics.”

Allen, a fan favorite for more than six seasons with Milwaukee, scored 16 points on four-for-16 shooting in his first game at the Bradley Center since being traded Feb. 20, 2003, by then-general manager Ernie Grunfeld for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason. Kevin Ollie, Ronald Murray and a draft pick were also dealt to Seattle in a move that current General Manager Larry Harris called one of the most devastating trades in Bucks’ history.

Allen sat out last season’s return to Milwaukee while recovering from a right ankle injury.

The last Seattle starter to be announced, Allen received a rousing welcome that could have gone longer had the Bucks not started their own pre-game video introductions.

“There was a little outside motivation today because a lot of people miss Ray in the Milwaukee area,” said Redd, Allen’s teammate for more than two seasons. “It’s well-deserved because he was here for a while and was great here.”

Allen earned three of his five All-Star appearances as a Buck.

“It was a very weird feeling, I’m not going to lie to you,” Allen said after finishing eight points below his scoring average. “My emotions were torn a little bit.”