Bucks embrace luck

MILWAUKEE – Andrew Bogut knows the outcome could have been different, and he’ll take it.

Bogut had 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists and hit what proved to be the game-winning free throw with 1 minute, 14 seconds remaining to lead the Milwaukee Bucks past the Seattle SuperSonics 94-93 Tuesday night.

“It was a coin toss,” Bogut said. “We knuckled up and played good ‘D’ and got the win, but it could have gone either way. I guess we got lucky, but we have been very unlucky in some games in these situations, too.”

Michael Redd had 22 points and Ruben Patterson added 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting for Milwaukee, which won despite hitting on just 1 of 13 3-point attempts.

Rashard Lewis led Seattle with 26 points as the Sonics lost for the first time in four games without leading scorer Ray Allen, out with a bone bruise in his right foot.

Chris Wilcox added 16 points, and Damien Wilkins had 15 for Seattle. The Sonics had six players in double figures and made 51.3 percent of their field goals in the first game of a five-game, seven-day road trip.

The Bucks took their first lead of the second half with 3:35 remaining and had to hold on as Luke Ridnour missed a desperation 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded.

“We had control of the game most of the game,” said Ridnour, who had 12 points and eight assists but six turnovers. “We got all the stops we needed, just had a couple of balls go in and out and just weren’t able to finish it.”

Charlie Villanueva, in his third game back from an elbow injury, returned to the starting lineup for Milwaukee and scored 15 points, including two key baskets down the stretch.

Milwaukee trailed much of the second half but took its first lead after halftime when Patterson found Villanueva open on the baseline for a dunk, and he was fouled. Villanueva made the free throw.

Villaneuva’s jumper made it 93-92 Bucks with 3 minutes remaining before Nick Collison was fouled trying to dunk with 1:29 left. He made one of two free throws to tie it at 93.

On Milwaukee’s next possession, Collison fouled Bogut hard on a layup attempt, and Bogut made the second of two free throws with 1:14 left for the final margin.

Seattle came up empty on its next two possessions with a turnover and missed jumper, giving the Bucks the ball back with 24.2 seconds left. Milwaukee ran down the shot clock, and Villaneuva missed a jumper with 3 seconds left. Seattle rebounded with 2.5 seconds left and called timeout.

Ridnour had trouble fighting through a double team and did not get a clean look at the basket as he hoisted a 22-footer that barely hit the rim.

Officially, Ridnour got the shot off with 0.3 seconds left, but it appeared to come after the buzzer.

“It was supposed to be a lob to Rashard, but as soon as I got it they just trapped it,” Ridnour said. “So I had to try to get out of there and just get something up.”

Patterson had four steals as Milwaukee won its third straight home game after starting 2-4 at home.

Bucks 94, SuperSonics 93

Percentages: FG .513, FT .706. 3-Point Goals: 1-7, .143 (Ras.Lewis 1-5, Ridnour 0-2). Team Rebounds: 4. Team Turnovers: 20 (20 PTS). Blocked Shots: 5 (Gelabale 2, Petro, Ridnour, Wilcox). Turnovers: 19 (Ridnour 6, Wilkins 5, Collison 3, Watson 2, Ras.Lewis, Wilcox, Gelabale). Steals: 10 (Wilcox 3, Collison 2, Wilkins 2, Petro, Gelabale, Wilks). Technical Fouls: Defensive Three Second, 10:02 first; Wilkins, 5:49 fourth.

Percentages: FG .479, FT .920. 3-Point Goals: 1-13, .077 (Patterson 1-1, Williams 0-1, Blake 0-1, Noel 0-1, Redd 0-2, Villanueva 0-2, Bell 0-5). Team Rebounds: 5. Team Turnovers: 17 (15 PTS). Blocked Shots: None. Turnovers: 17 (Redd 4, Williams 4, Villanueva 4, Bogut 2, Patterson 2, Skinner). Steals: 10 (Patterson 4, Williams 3, Bell, Blake, Villanueva). Technical Fouls: Defensive Three Second, 11:35 first; Defensive Three Second, 10:02 second.

A—13,374 (18,717).