
One thing is certain for Milwaukee on Wednesday night: Michael Redd will not be in uniform. What remains in question is how the Bucks will respond in the second game following their top players' season-ending knee injury.
Milwaukee goes for its first win at Indiana in four seasons on Wednesday night against a Pacers squad that has won five straight at home.The Bucks (22-26), who have dropped seven in a row at Indiana, arrive at Conseco Fieldhouse following a 90-83 loss to Minnesota on Monday that marked their first game since Redd tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee during a 106-104 win over Sacramento on Saturday. Coach Scott Skiles isn't using Redd's injury as an excuse for the team's poor play on Monday.
"I really can't even fathom what that has to do with playing hard and having intensity. I mean, other than it being an excuse. I don't know what else it would be," Skiles said. "The type of intensity we need to win a game we probably had for about 10 minutes out of the 48. It's just not enough."
Richard Jefferson, shooting just 30.0 percent from the field in his last three games, missed 12-of-15 shots against Minnesota, including all five from 3-point range, as the Bucks connected on only 1-of-14 from long distance. Jefferson, though, is averaging 24.7 points and hitting 55.7 percent in his last six games at Indiana.
Starting the last seven games, Charlie Villanueva is averaging 21.1 points, 8.3 boards and shooting 52.7 percent from the floor. He had 26 points and 10 rebounds off the bench in the Bucks' 121-103 win over Indiana on Dec. 13.
Making his first start since Nov. 29, Ramon Sessions had a team-high 18 points on Monday as he took Redd's place in the starting lineup. In Milwaukee's last visit to Indiana - a 105-97 loss on April 6 - Sessions just missed a double-double with eight points and 10 assists.
Andrew Bogut missed his seventh straight game on Monday with back spasms. The fourth-year center, who had 20 points and 20 rebounds in Milwaukee's win against Indiana last month, is questionable for Wednesday.
While the Bucks look for their first win in Indiana since an 89-86 victory on Dec. 7, 2004, the Pacers (17-28) are going for their first six-game home winning streak since Nov. 21-Dec. 15, 2006.
Indiana, however, is coming off a 135-111 loss at Orlando on Tuesday night as the Magic shot 54.9 percent from the field, including 15-of-33 from 3-point range. The Pacers are among the league's worst defensive teams, allowing 104.8 points per game.
"(The Magic) are the best team in the East," said Danny Granger, who was limited to 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting.
Granger, among the league leaders with a career-best 25.8 points per game, is shooting just 35.0 percent from the field in his last seven contests. In his last three home games against Milwaukee, though, Granger is averaging 26.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and hitting 46.2 percent.
T.J. Ford, an eighth overall pick by Milwaukee in 2003, made 9-of-12 from the field and scored 23 points on Tuesday. Ford led Indiana with 27 points and six assists in its loss to Milwaukee on Dec. 13.
The Pacers are among the NBA's best rebounding teams with 43.5 per game, but grabbed a season-low 29 to Orlando's 50.