Douglas-Roberts, Bucks Beat Nets 115-92
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Chris Douglas-Roberts celebrated his birthday by scoring 24 points against his former teammates to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 115-92 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Saturday night.
Ersan Ilyasova added a season-high 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Earl Boykins had 17 points as the Bucks snapped a three-game losing streak and beat the Nets for the sixth straight time.
Milwaukee, the NBA's worst shooting team at 41.3 percent from the field, shot a season-best 58.3 percent in scoring a season high in points despite having center Andrew Bogut sidelined with a viral infection.
Kris Humphries scored a season-high 22 points and Jordan Farmar, who started with Devin Harris out with a bruised leg, had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Brook Lopez failed to take advantage of Bogut's absence and had five points and one rebound.
Milwaukee, which lost to Miami in overtime on Friday night, never trailed after John Salmons hit a 3-pointer for a 5-2 lead.
Salmons and Corey Maggette each had eight points and Ilyasova scored six in the first quarter to help the Bucks open a 28-15 lead.
New Jersey, which for some reason didn't push the ball inside early with Bogut out, finally attacked in the paint in the second quarter and closed within 50-43 on two free throws by Humphries.
However, Boykins made a 3-pointer and a jumper with 1.5 seconds left in the half to push the lead to 55-45.
Douglas-Roberts, who was traded by the Nets to the Bucks for a second-round pick in the offseason, took over in the second half. He scored 11 points in the third quarter as Milwaukee pushed its lead to 88-65.
The highlight of the third quarter was Douglas-Roberts' layup followed by a steal from Ben Uzoh when the Nets backup guard was looking to hand the ball off to a teammate.
Douglas-Roberts, who scored a season-high 30 in the loss to Miami, helped put away the game in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, scoring the Bucks' first seven points.
NOTES: This was the Bucks' only Saturday night road game this season. ... Douglas-Roberts turned 24. ...The matchup paired the NBA's two worst shooting teams. New Jersey is shooting 43.3 percent.
