--Assistant coach Jim Boylan took over the Bucks' head coaching duties Friday night against the Pistons. Earlier in the day, Bucks coach Scott Skiles was suspended one game without pay for his actions Wednesday night against the Wizards. In that game, Skiles was ejected with 29.7 seconds left in the first quarter after he angrily ran onto the court to argue a non-call. Skiles felt a foul should have been called on Wizards center Brendan Hayward defending Bucks forward Hakim Warrick. --The Bucks' bench has played well this season, but especially in the last two weeks. The Bucks have outscored their foes' reserve corps 38.2 to 28 this season and 42-to-20 in the last five games. Veterans Hakim Warrick and Luke Ridnour have been most responsible for the Bucks' strong bench play. Warrick is averaging 12.1 points a game and Ridnour is averaging 11.4 points. --The Bucks were a bad road team last season and haven't played well on the road this season so far. The Bucks, who posted a 12-29 mark on the road last season, are 2-7 this season.
--The Bucks will be sponsoring a tailgate party outside of the Bradley Center before Sunday afternoon's game against the Cavaliers. The tailgate package includes four tickets, preferred parking, a pound of sausage, a two-liter bottle of soda, four Bucks thermal mugs, four knit caps and preferred parking spots. The weather forecast for the day: mostly cloudy with temperatures ranging from 31 to 36 degrees.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We've been talking a lot about our defensive approach to the game, but that's all it was -- talk. There was no substance (Friday night) to what we've been talking about the past few days." -- Bucks assistant coach Jim Boylan, on the Bucks' horrendous defensive effort against the Pistons Friday night at Auburn Hills, Mich. The Pistons scored 34 points in the first quarter and made 39-of-68 field goals (57 percent) in the game.
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