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Friday, Feb. 23 8:30pm ET
Allen makes six 3-pointers in victory

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MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Glenn Robinson was missing, but Ray Allen wasn't.

Allen had 29 points, making six 3-pointers, as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Vancouver Grizzlies 93-81 Friday night.

Robinson, the team's leading scorer, was serving a one-game suspension for his part in an altercation with the Bulls' Ron Artest on Tuesday night.

Allen's efforts and 18 points from Sam Cassell, including three consecutive baskets down the stretch, more than made up for Robinson's 22.2 points per game.

"He definitely is the difference for us," Allen said. "Glenn is a consistent 20-point score. When you need a basket, we have plays when you go right to him."

The Bucks struggled in the first three quarters despite leading at the end of each period. Allen attributed part of it to Robinson's absence.

"It's tough trying to figure it out," Allen said. "It's tough having a starter, an All-Star, out of the game."

Tim Thomas started in Robinson's absence and finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, but only made one of seven shots in the first.

"We knew we had enough talent, even though Glenn wasn't here, to pull out the game," Thomas said.

Mike Bibby scored 28 points on 11-for-15 shooting and hit four 3-pointers and Shareef Abdur-Rahim added 22 for the Grizzlies who came into Milwaukee having won five of the last six games.

Bibby and Abdur-Rahim each had 15 points in the first half and kept Vancouver close. The Bucks never led by more than seven points.

Allen hit three 3-pointers in third as the Bucks looked liked they would finally pull away, but Bibby answered with 11 points, including a jumper that cut the Bucks' lead to 68-66 with 2:32 left in the period.

In the fourth, Erick Strickland, who finished with 12 points, hit two 3-pointers and a short jumper as the Grizzlies closed within 75-74 with 10:52 left in the fourth.

After Lindsey Hunter, who had 16 points, made a layup, Tony Massenburg made it a one-point game again for Vancouver, but Cassell wouldn't let them get closer as he connected three times during a 9-0 run that gave Milwaukee an 86-76 lead with 5:28 left.

Vancouver scored five points in the final five minutes to help Milwaukee improve its home record to 21-8, the best in the Eastern Conference.

Abdur-Rahim made a technical and jumper and Bibby hit a jumper to close out the Grizzlies' scoring.

"We didn't hit shots down the stretch and that hurt us," Bibby said.

Vancouver was without their coach Sidney Lowe.

"The flu hit him pretty hard the last few days," assistant coach Bob Staak said. "They took him to the hospital to get some fluids, but he'll be all right."

Allen started an 18-4 run that spanned the second and third quarters with a 3-pointer and then capped it with another 3. The outburst gave Milwaukee a 63-49 lead with 8:29 left in the third.

Game notes
Vancouver's Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf missed the game due to illness. ... Bibby had 15 points in the first half, one less than he had in the game on Jan. 7. ... Thomas had four points in the first half for Milwaukee. ... Vancouver lost to Philadelphia two days ago which snapped a team-record five-game winning streak. ... The Bucks had 38 points in the paint to the Grizzlies' 18.

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