Wizards ease past Bucks

MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Bucks are about as bad as the NBA has to offer.

Facing the Bucks without leading scorer Michael Redd (bruised thigh), the Washington Wizards (16-15) cruised to their easiest victory of the season, blasting Milwaukee 101-77 before 16,250 often-booing fans.

The win was the Wizards’ largest road victory since they beat the Atlanta Hawks by 29 on March 16, 2005.

The win also was the Wizards’ third in last five games, and it was quite a contrast to their game on Wednesday, when Detroit beat them at Verizon Center, and the Wizards were never really in the game.

This time, though, it was the Bucks’ turn to play whipping boy, and they obliged for the full 48 minutes.

The Bucks didn’t break 50 until the early in the fourth quarter, this after trailing by 30 points or more for the better part of the third quarter.

The Wizards held the Bucks to just 31 points in the first half, the lowest total by an opponent they in the first half this season.

Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said his team, which held the Bucks (12-20) to just 38.5 percent from the field, established the tone of the game in the first quarter.

After committing eight turnovers in the first quarter and scoring just 10 points, the Bucks ended the first quarter down 23-10 and were serenaded by bratwurst-eating boobirds.

Brendan Haywood, who finished with nine points, eight rebounds and four blocks, had two of his blocks in the first quarter.

“They were bringing a lot of shots inside and I was there, so I figured I might as well try to block them,” Haywood said. “We went on a couple of good runs that put them in bad situations, and unlike in some previous games we didn’t let our foot off the throttle.

“We were true professionals today. Some games where we’ve gotten a big lead, we haven’t finished teams off.”

Up 52-31 at halftime, the Wizards put the game away with a 14-2 run at the start of the third quarter for a 66-33 lead halfway through the third.

“We started the first quarter out with a lot of steal and deflections, and Brendan was awesome at the rim,” Jordan said. “When you protect you paints and you defend your rim good, things happen.”

The early blowout allowed Jordan to rest his starters in the fourth quarter and give extended playing time to Darius Songaila, Roger Mason and Andray Blatche.

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