Bucks: Dreadful season ends with OT loss to Timberwolves
MINNEAPOLIS -- A happy ending to a trying season eluded coach Larry Krystkowiak and the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday night.
The Bucks (26-56) wasted a 16-point third-quarter lead and fell 110-101 in overtime at Minnesota. Milwaukee closed with eight straight defeats and 12 losses in its final 14 games.
"It stings. It is a negative exclamation point on a season. It would have been nice to walk out of here with a smile, but such is life," said Krystkowiak, who was to meet today with new general manager John Hammond to find out whether he'll be back or sent packing after his first full season as the Bucks' coach.
Minnesota (22-60) endured an even worse season than Milwaukee, though at least the Timberwolves finished on a winning note.
"I'm definitely glad it's in the rearview mirror," said Wolves guard Randy Foye, who scored 10 of his career-high 32 points in overtime.
Ryan Gomes added 17 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota.
The Wolves hope to land the same lottery luck the Bucks had three years ago, when they were awarded the first pick in the draft and took Andrew Bogut out of Utah. Minnesota tied Memphis for the third-worst record in the league.
"I look at this season as a learning process. Even though we didn't do as well as I was hoping, we still got something out of this," said Al Jefferson, who emerged as a clear cornerstone of a franchise that started over last summer after trading perennial All-Star Kevin Garnett.
Foye didn't play until the end of January because of a kneecap problem that popped up in training camp, but he finished April strong and topped it off with this performance that included 6-for-7 shooting from the floor after the third period.
For the Bucks, rookie Ramon Sessions scored a career-high 25 points to go with 14 assists and Bogut had 24 points and 15 rebounds.
Jefferson was guarding a backing-down Bogut in the post when Sessions suddenly sprinted down the lane past Foye for an easy layup off the feed from Bogut. That gave the Bucks their biggest lead, 65-49 with 8 minutes left in the third quarter.
Sessions, a second-round draft pick from Nevada who spent most of the season in the NBA's developmental league, has surely made a positive impression on Hammond for the future.
After his 20-point, 24-assist performance in Monday's 151-135 loss to Chicago, he played 40-plus minutes for the fourth straight time and had a double-double for the third straight game.
With Mo Williams and Charlie Bell injured down the stretch, Sessions capitalized on his opportunity.
"He's done a nice job for us," Krystkowiak said. "Certainly going down the stretch it has given him a lot of confidence and should propel him into a better situation, I think, in our league."
The question is if Krystkowiak, who went 5-13 as the interim replacement for Terry Stotts last season, will get to coach him again. He never found a rhythm with his team, which had plenty of talent but never meshed in the right way.
"It's not fun, what we have experienced," Krystkowiak said before the game. "So you kind of want it to be over."
Desmond Mason described Krystkowiak's postgame speech.
"He wasn't up there crying or anything," Mason said, adding: "It is disappointing to us to look back on our season, and look at all of the situations we were in and the games we let slip and the lack of effort, off and on, making mental mistakes on the floor. It's frustrating."
Bucks' Ivey suspended 3 games: Milwaukee's Royal Ivey was suspended for three games without pay by the NBA for punching Chicago's Aaron Gray in the groin.
The altercation happened with 10:48 left in the second quarter of the Bucks' loss Monday night. Ivey was barred from the Bucks' season finale against Minnesota on Wednesday and the first two regular-season games he is eligible to play next season.
"It was nice to see, because (executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson) was calling," Gray said. "It's obvious I had support from the organization and the NBA."
Ivey was with the team at the morning shootaround. The news didn't emerge until the afternoon, and coach Larry Krystkowiak sounded surprised.
"Something took place, they reviewed the film, and made the decision at the league," Krystkowiak said. "Beyond that, I haven't had a chance to talk to Ive. Just knew that he wasn't supposed to join us coming to the gym, and we're going to catch up with him on the plane on the way home."
Associated Press
Milwaukee Bucks' Desmond Mason (24) goes to the basket against Minnesota Timberwolves' Ryan Gomes, right during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, April 16, 2008, in Minneapolis.
