ESPN Network: ESPN.com | NFL.com | NBA.com | NHL.com | WNBA.com | ABCSports | EXPN | FANTASY | INSIDER

  Scores/Schedules
  Standings
  Statistics
  Transactions
  Injuries
  Players
  Message Board
  NBA StatSearch
  NBA en espaņol
Clubhouses






Saturday, Feb. 17 8:30pm ET
Hornets have Bucks' home number

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Baron Davis claims he called it.

P.J. Brown
P.J. Brown fouls Milwaukee's' Mark Pope as he goes up for a shot, but the Hornets beat the Bucks.

"I called for the ball because I knew I was going to make that shot," said Davis, whose 89-footer at the third-quarter buzzer highlighted the Charlotte Hornets' 103-93 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.

"I called it," Davis reiterated, knowing nobody would believe him. "Ask Lindsey Hunter."

Well, Jamal Mashburn had to vouch for his teammate -- "He called for it and said he was going to make it," he said -- because Milwaukee's locker room was mostly silent.

The Bucks sat around in disbelief at the way they had been manhandled by Mashburn & Co. before a rare sellout crowd at the Bradley Center.

Mashburn nearly had a triple-double with 32 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and Davis added 21 points as the Hornets won in Milwaukee for the second time this season.

"They got their confidence going and we couldn't stop them. We didn't play defense from 1 to 5," Bucks center Ervin Johnson fumed. "They did whatever they wanted to do and we didn't have any effort to try to stop them."

The Central Division-leading Bucks are an Eastern Conference-best 19-8 at home, but they lost both of their games against the Hornets at the Bradley Center. They were beaten by Charlotte 106-90 on Nov. 24 in Milwaukee.

"We played a very loose, irresponsible basketball game the whole night," Bucks coach George Karl said. "We thought Charlotte would cave in and give it to us."

The problem for Milwaukee was an old one: they didn't play defense.

"We've got a lot of guys that love to step up and make offensive plays," Karl said. "In fact, we get in fights all the time on whose turn it is offensively. And I don't know if we've got one guy rather than Ervin that really cares about stopping somebody.

"Our individual pride in covering the ball ... is a joke," Karl said. "I bet the opposing team gets confused where to go half the time because they have so many opportunities to attack."

The Hornets pulled away with 16-2 run spanning the third and fourth quarters. In the middle of the run was one of the most amazing buzzer-beaters ever.

After Glenn Robinson made two free throws with seven-tenths of a second left in the third period, Davis took the inbounds pass near his own basket and heaved a right-handed rainbow shot that went in to the astonishment of the sold-out Bradley Center.

The extraordinary basket gave the Hornets a 76-67 lead heading into the fourth quarter, and the Hornets would score the next seven points to boot.

"It had a huge effect," Davis said. "After that, we went on a nice run."

Hornets coach Paul Silas didn't care whether Davis called the basket or not.

"That was huge. I think that took a lot of wind out of their sails," he said. "For that kind of shot to go in, it just saps you of your will."

Robinson concurred: "It was a six-point game and that shot made it nine. We were already searching the whole night and that definitely hurt us."

Johnson argued the Bucks, who led 50-49 at halftime, were done long before Davis' 89-footer, though.

"That was just icing on the cake, I guess you could say," Johnson said.

Game notes
Hornets sixth man Derrick Coleman sat out with a strained left calf. He was placed on the injured list after getting hurt Friday night against the Lakers. ... Bucks F Darvin Ham, recovering from a broken left foot, had a long workout Saturday. He's expected back in March.

Send this story to a friend
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard

Charlotte Clubhouse

Milwaukee Clubhouse

RECAPS
Chicago 89
Miami 82

Dallas 112
Washington 105

Houston 92
Cleveland 80

Charlotte 103
Milwaukee 93

Boston 85
Portland 81

Atlanta 101
Seattle 94


ESPN.com:  HELP |  ADVERTISER INFO |  CONTACT US |  TOOLS |  SITE MAP
Copyright ©2000 ESPN Internet Group. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information are applicable to this site. Employment opportunities at ESPN.com.