Herb Williams can't change the Knicks' losing ways.

The Milwaukee Bucks held off the Knicks in the final minutes for a 101-96 victory, as starter Tim Thomas and Sixth Man Allan Houston joined Penny Hardaway and Moochie Norris on the sidelines. Norris was ineligible to come off the IR so soon, leaving Jamison Brewer as the lone reserve guard on the Knickerbocker team. Add that to the fact that Brewer, Vin Baker, and Bruno Sundov showed up to the game in name only (3 combined points) and it’s a wonder this one wasn’t a blowout. Stephon Marbury put up his highest point total, 33, in nearly a month but it wasn’t enough.

Trevor Ariza started this time around in place of the injured Thomas, but looked tentative on the court from the beginning. To make matters worse early on, Nazr Mohammed picked up two fouls in the first two minutes, forcing Mike Sweetney onto the court early, which may have ended up being a blessing in disguise.

The Bucks opened up a 7-1 lead before the Sweetney, Kurt Thomas, and Marbury trifecta kicked in, picking and rolling, picking and popping, and driving and dishing, scoring all but three of the team’s first quarter points. Unfortunately Ariza and Kurt Thomas got themselves into foul trouble in addition to Nazr, stretching the early rotation to the breaking point. (Aka early sightings for Baker and Brewer)

Marbury, however, used his hot hand to pour in 12 first-quarter points, leaving New York with a 26-23 at the end of the opening period.

The game was close throughout the second quarter, with Mike Sweetney being fed back-to-back slams by Williams and Brewer. The Bucks dug deep into their well of reserves, trying to confuse and tire the depleted Knicks with a constant 9-man rotation that included bringing the recovering former Knick Keith Van Horn off the bench. Desmond Mason was virtually unguardable for the Bucks in the first half with both Ariza and Jerome Williams struggling to keep up. Nonetheless Jamal Crawford, despite another poor shooting experience, gave his team a one point lead with a running jumper at the first half buzzer. Had hope returned to New York? No way.

Center Dan Gadzuric came out of the break in a fury, abusing Nazr Mohammed for 5 points, 2 rebounds, and drawing a foul and blocking a shot off Mohammed in the first three minutes of the third quarter. Joe Smith began to hit from outside and in, and just like that he Bucks had extended to an eight-point lead. The previously hot Marbury had grown as cold as Crawford, and the New York offense was firing blanks, trailing by seven heading into the fourth.

The Bucks began to pull away even further. Kurt Thomas, Sweetney and Marbury had all grown cold from the field, and Mike James’s three-point dagger with six minutes to play gave Milwaukee an 85-74 lead. The Knicks made one more push on a series of blown missed layups and stupid fouls by the opposing team, with Steph sinking eight-of-eight free throws in the clutch and Crawford adding a three to pull to 91-87.

Yet the offense would not continue and the previously time Michael Redd drilled a three of his own to seal to virtually seal the game with 50 seconds to go. New York had been trying out zone defense for much of the game, but it was shown to be ineffective on that play. Crawford answered again with a three, but Zaza Pachulia scored immediately on the other end to dispel any notion of another comeback.

Marbury sank 13 free throws in the game, the most he’s had in one contest since February, 2003 when he was with the Suns. Mike Sweetney took full advantage of his career high 37 minutes played to chip in with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Kurt Thomas had 12 points and Jamal Crawford added 20, though he shot just 7 for 19 from the field.

The Bucks earned just their fifth road win of the season. Desmond Mason had 22, and Dan Gadzuric hauled down 13 rebounds, 7 of them on the offensive glass.

Herb Williams will have to go back to work again. New York has lost six straight and ten of the last eleven, and the schedule doesn’t get any easier then it did on Sunday.

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