ankle injury and when he'll return is unknown.

Without Redd on the floor, the Bucks' offense has sputtered. In

their last seven games, they have scored more than 100 points only

twice.

But it's not just the absence of Redd's 20 points per game that is

hurting the Bucks. According to Bucks coach Scott Skiles, whose team

takes on the Jazz in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, opponents realize

the Bucks' main perimeter threat is missing and are now packing the

lane and preventing the Bucks from penetrating as easily.

NUGGETS 114, BUCKS 105: A combination of miserable transition

defense and a lack of aggressiveness on offense killed the Bucks in

Denver. The Bucks allowed the Nuggets to score 12 points off the break

by midway through the second quarter and found themselves trailing

44-30. The Bucks (5-7) also went to the line just 10 times in the

first half, making nine free throws. In contrast, the Nuggets

converted on 22-of-26 free throws in the first half alone. That helped

the Nuggets take a 64-40 halftime advantage. Only Charlie Bell's 17

first-half points prevented the Bucks from being blown out by then.

The Bucks finished the game making 19-of-24 free throws; Denver ended

up making 40-of-48.