Skiles, Jennings frustrated with loss to Chicago

Paul Imig Posted: Nov. 5, 2009

AP/Charles Rex Arbogast

ST. FRANCIS -- The Milwaukee Bucks know they had every opportunity to win Tuesday night in Chicago.

Milwaukee’s 14-point halftime lead was extended to 18 with less than six minutes remaining in the third quarter. But the Bulls then went on a 12-0 run in the following two minutes to quickly cut it down to six, and eventually down to four at the end of the third quarter on a buzzer-beating three-point shot by Luol Deng, who finished with 24 points and 20 rebounds.

Chicago then went on a 15-2 run early in the fourth quarter to lead by as much as seven. Despite allowing the Bucks a couple chances to make a comeback of their own in the final seconds, the Bulls held on to defeat Milwaukee 83-81.

“I took it as bad as any loss I’ve ever taken (in my coaching career),” Scott Skiles said after practice Wednesday. “It really pissed me off. Not because I thought in any way we gave in, quit, nothing like that. We didn’t do that.”

Skiles is now in his tenth season as a head coach in the NBA, including the better parts of three seasons in Phoenix, five in Chicago, and now the early stages of his second year in Milwaukee.

“When I got home and looked at it again, our effort was really consistent,” Skiles said. “We tried to stay with it. There are certain times when a play has to be made. We cannot leave Luol Deng in the corner for a wide-open three at the end of the third quarter.

“There was just a series of plays that are the difference between winning and losing that didn’t go our way. We shot 50% in the first quarter, and we shot 36% the rest of the game. In an NBA game if you have three straight quarters of 36% shooting, it’s very tough to win.”

The Bucks finished the game shooting 39.6% from the floor, and made only four of 20 three-point attempts (20%). They also shot only 10 free throws, making five of them, while allowing Chicago to shoot 31 free throws.

“There were just little plays that we actually had some control over that we could’ve made,” Skiles said. “I wasn’t in any way angry with the guys or anything like that. I felt more disappointment for them than anything because they played hard.”

Playing without Michael Redd for the first time this season after he aggravated his knee on a dunk Saturday against Detroit, Brandon Jennings once again led the Bucks in scoring with 25 points on 10 of 23 shooting.

“It was real frustrating,” Jennings said of the loss. “We had them in the first half. We came out in the second half in the beginning doing well and next thing you know they just kept chipping down.

“But what I’ve learned so far in these three games is that it’s really hard to win an NBA game. After you win, you’re tired and it takes a lot of you because guys are so good and teams will just keep fighting and fighting. Now, going in to all the other games, we’ve got to bring it all 48 minutes.”

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Skiles, Jennings frustrated with loss to Chicago

AP/Charles Rex Arbogast