Ellis Not Enough As Bucks Edge Warriors, 79-72
MILWAUKEE, Wisc. (AP) ― John Salmons scored a season-high 26 points, including a basket with 50.8 seconds left to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 79-72 win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.
Brandon Jennings added 19 points and Drew Gooden scored 16 as Milwaukee reached .500 for the first time this season.
Monta Ellis led the Warriors with 24 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome their season-lowest shooting of 34.1 percent.
The Warriors made one last run at the Bucks and made it 75-72 on Jeff Adrien's hook with 1:31 left. Salmons hit an 8-foot leaner with 50.8 seconds left and then Andrew Bogut blocked Vladimir Radmanovic' shot.
Luc Mbah a Moute grabbed Keyon Dooling's miss and was fouled. He made both free throws and when Reggie Williams missed a desperation 3-pointer, Jennings grabbed the rebound and dribbled out the clock.
After struggling for three quarters and being behind by 18, the Warriors opened the fourth with an 11-2 surge that made it 68-62 with 8:25 left to play. Williams and Radmanovic hit 3s and Charlie Bell(notes), a former Buck, nailed a 19-footer off a fast break. After Salmons made two free throws for the Bucks, Ellis hit another 3.
Gooden tipped in a miss by Bogut and Jennings scored on a reverse layup to stop the run.
It was the Warriors' first game since the NBA's board of governors unanimously approved the sale of the team on Friday to the GSW Sports LLC ownership group, led by Joe Lacob and movie producer Peter Guber, for a record $450 million.
Golden State's new owners assumed formal control of the franchise from Chris Cohan, who presided over 15 mostly disappointing seasons for the Bay Area's only pro basketball team.
The Warriors finished the five-game road trip 2-3.
They were without David Lee(notes) for a second game after he cut his left elbow when he inadvertently struck New York's Wilson Chandler(notes) in the mouth Wednesday. Lee, averaging 14.3 points and 11.3 rebounds in his first eight games for the Warriors, had successful surgery Friday night to eliminate the infection in the wound.
Notes: No timetable has been set for the return of the Lee, who was released from the Fremont Surgery Center on Saturday. … Bucks F Carlos Delfino(notes) missed his third game with a neck strain he suffered last Saturday against New Orleans. … The Warriors' new ownership group is offering 50 percent off food, beverages and all remaining tickets to Monday night's game, the team's first home game since the purchase on Friday.
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