Michael Redd scored 21 points and rookie
David Noel added 14 to help the Milwaukee Bucks to a 104-100
pre-season victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday night.
Noel, a second-round draft pick, started at small forward in his
return to North Carolina, where he played for the Tar Heels. Noel
was 6-of-7 from the field, including a jumper with just over two
minutes to go that gave the Bucks a five-point lead.
Ex-Raptor Charlie Villanueva had nine points and five rebounds in
18 minutes before fouling out.
Redd finished 7-of-16 from the field and was 6-of-8 at the free
throw line before sitting out the fourth quarter. Charlie Bell added
16 points for Milwaukee.
Raymond Felton had 20 points, six rebounds and five assists in
three quarters for Charlotte, while fellow Tar Heel Sean May added
17 points and nine rebounds. Rookie forward Adam Morrison scored 11
points for the Bobcats, who had 22 turnovers.
Morrison, who scored a game-high 19 points in Charlotte's
exhibition opener Tuesday against Orlando, started Friday and was
5-for-12 from the field.
Morrison, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, scored on a
variety of fallaway jumpers, running one-handers and outside shots.
Perhaps his most impressive move came late in the first half when he
came off a screen and was double-teamed on the right wing. His pump
fake got Noel and Brian Skinner up in the air, but Morrison missed
the 20-foot jumper.
Morrison was average on defence, splitting time guarding Noel,
Bell and Ersan Ilyasova. He grabbed Redd for a foul when he ended up
on him after a defensive switch and sometimes struggled to work his
way through screens.
Emeka Okafor, who fouled out and was held scoreless in nine
minutes Tuesday, had five points and nine rebounds for Charlotte,
which missed 12 free throws.
The Bucks continued to experiment at centre with Andrew Bogut out
up to eight weeks with a lower left leg injury. Skinner started and
had eight points and eight rebounds. Dan Gadzuric, who started in
the Bucks' first game against Minnesota, had six points and eight
rebounds.
Bobcats guard Brevin Knight did not play after spraining his
right ankle against Orlando. Jake Voskuhl (knee) was also sidelined.
Bucks guard Maurice Williams was not with the team to deal with a
family matter. Forward Bobby Simmons (heel) and Ha Seung-Jim (knee)
did not play.
