Scorched in South Beach!

DECEMBER 27, 2005
Heat 98, Bucks 67.Well, the Miami Heat lived up to their name, scorching the Bucks 98 to 67 at American Airlines Arena. Dwyane Wade led the way for Miami with 36 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Shaquille O'Neal did what the Diesel does best: dominate. His stats: 27 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks.The Bucks were rotten all night long, except for the 2nd quarter, where they outscored the Heat 28-22. Wanna know how bad the Bucks were? Milwaukee scored 13 points in the first quarter, 14 in the 2nd and 12 in the 4th quarter! And their 67 total points was a season low. Three Bucks players fouled out: Michael Redd (despite leading the team with 21 points) and both centers (Jamaal Magloire and Dan Gadzuric). In fact Big Cat and Danny G were completely destroyed by Shaq, as well as shut out in today's debacle. They combined for 0 points and 7 rebounds with 12 personal fouls combined!The only saving grace for the Bucks? Philip Finley Joseph Paul Finnigan Fitzpatrick. Fightin' Fitzie had 14 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks, even though he was 5-for-13 from the field.All told, here are the miserable facts about tonight's game:They shot well below 40% (29-for-85).They were 2-for-17 from beyond the arc.They were soundly beaten in the battle of the boards, 54-42. (James Posey, a small forward, had 14 rebounds!)The Heat shot more than 50% (38-for-74).Another beatdown on the road (lost by 37 on 11/25/05 at Minnesota and get poleaxed on 12/7/05 at Philadelphia).And three players fouled out.And guess what? The goshawful Knicks, who beat the Bucks at MSG 15 days ago are coming to the Bradley Center. Will we see the Bucks of tonight against New York or the Knicks of 05-06 December 30? We will find out!

Quick recap of the next 3 games during the holiday stretch.

December 20 at Bradley Center
Spurs 99 Bucks 95
Tim Duncan and the defending world champs were to much for the Bucks as San Antonio won a close one tonight. Duncan had 34 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and 2 blocks to lead the winners. Manu Ginobili had 19 pts and 7 rebounds while Tony Parker had 17 points and 6 assists. The Bucks were led by Michael Redd and Bobby Simmons, who each tallied 27 points. Simmons was also Milwaukee's top rebounder with 11 boards. Philip "Fightin' Fitzie" Fitzpatrick had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists, but he was no match for the much more experienced Duncan head-to-head. Even though the Bucks out-rebounded the Spurs 43-42, Milwaukee's weakness tonight was committing fouls. They committed 30 fouls, which led to 25 Spurs free throws made, compared to 16 Bucks points on 18 San Antonio hacks.


12/23/05 at the Bradley Center:Bucks beat Hornets, 96-82.
Michael Redd poured in 41 points to help the Bucks snap their 3-game losing streak. He had big help from Philip Fitzpatrick, who had 21 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists plus 3 blocks. His rookie counterpart, New Orleans point guard Chris Paul, also did well:22 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Kirk Snyder had 15 points while David West scored 13.

NEWS FLASH!
On December 24, the Bucks' owner, Sen. Herb Kohl announced that a meet and greet will be at the Calatrava, officially welcoming Bucks forward Philip Fitzpatrick to Milwaukee, that will be on December 31st, more details to come.


12/26/05 at TD Waterhouse Center
Bucks 86, Orlando Magic 71
Once again, Michael Redd and Bobby Simmons teamed up to score the majority of Milwaukee's points as Redd scored 36 and Simmons tallied 20 while the Bucks defense held Orlando to 71 points, Milwaukee's fewest points yielded this season. Fightin' Fitzie only scored 7 points, but grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked 6 shots! Dwight Howard had 21 points and 10 boards along with 2 blocks, also Jameer Nelson had 19 points and 5 assists to lead the Magic.The Bucks are now 15-9 this season, and with 2 more games left in 2005 (12/27 at Miami & 12/30 vs. New York) the Bucks look to impress everyone when '06 rolls around!

Bucks choke as Utah makes sweet Jazz music in their comeback win.

Saturday, December 17 at the Bradley Center
The Utah Jazz overcame a 15-point 1st quarter, a 35-point 1st half and a 47-35 halftime deficit as they defeated the Bucks 91 to 90 tonight, as the Bucks have lost 3 of their last 5 games. Jazz forward Andrei 'AK47' Kirilenko gunned down Milwaukee with 25 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals, making 7 of 14 field goals and 11 of his 15 free throws. Center Mehmet Okur had 17 points and 6 rebounds while rookie guard Deron Williams had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists to lead the winners. The loss spoiled a great performance by Michael Redd, who had a game high 38 points and 7 rebounds. Bobby Simmons had 19 points and 6 rebounds while 7'1" rookie forward Philip Fitzpatrick had 11 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 blocks. However, Fightin' Fitzie almost won the game on the final play. Fitzie had the last possession, but my dice roll came up 'D-8', I checked the Utah defense card, and it came up 'O' (It was not an open shot). And Utah came back to win 91-90. It was so depressing for Fitz to miss the game-winner, especially when tonight was his wife's 23rd birthday, and Erin felt sorry for him, and she watched the game from their apartment (she is expected to have triplets in June). However, they celebrated at home despite the loss with a great dinner at home. And on Tuesday, December 20, Philip will celebrate his 23rd birthday as the Bucks host the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs at the Bradley Center. I hope the Bucks can win one for Fightin' Fitzie!
Jazz 91, Bucks 90
top scorers: Andrei Kirilenko 25 Michael Redd 38
top rebounders: Andrei Kirilenko 10 Philip Fitzpatrick 11

By the way, the Milwaukee Bucks are 13-8 so far this season.

A very unhappy birthday for Philip Fitzpatrick, in Philip's favorite city.

Happy 23rd birthday to Philip "Fightin' Fitzie" Fitzpatrick!

Paul Pierce scored 41 points and Wally Szczerbiak added 28 as the Celtics pounded the Bucks 115-99 today at TD Banknorth Garden. Pierce also had a game-high 13 rebounds and 3 assists while Al Jefferson added 13 points off the bench and Delonte West had 11 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Philip Fitzpatrick, Milwaukee's 7'1" rookie power forward, led his team with 27 points, he also had 7 rebounds. Michael Redd also shined for the Bucks, he had 25 points.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

The Bucks had a big advantage in offensive rebounds (13 to 6), but Boston won the rebounding wars, 39 to 32.Boston had more field goals, 42 to 37, but the Bucks had 7 treys compared to Boston's 5.The C's made more free throws than Milwaukee, 25 to 16.The Bucks had 7 steals compared to the Celtics' 4, and Boston had more turnovers, 8 to 7.And the Celtics had all 6 of tonight's blocks. Kendrick Perkins had 3 rejections, Michael Olowokandi had 2.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Paul Pierce had a hot night with 41 points, and Wally Szczerbiak added 28, and that is one of the most impressive dyanmic duo performances of the season, as they scored 69 of Boston's 115 points.Fitzpatrick and Redd were a great duo, too, they scored 52 of the Bucks' 99 points.Also, a tip of the cap to Jamaal Magloire, who had 9 points and a team-high 9 rebounds.And, every Bucks player who played scored at least a point in tonight's game.The Bucks' next game is tomorrow, December 17 at the Bradley Center against the Utah Jazz.

Let's see now, Detroit, Dallas, Cleveland, Indiana, L.A., Philly, Miami...wow the Bucks have beaten a lot of A-listers in at the BC!

Shaq: still a force from coast to coast, but
Fitzie was just as good!
Tuesday, December 14
Milwaukee 96, Miami 90 at the Bradley Center

Another hard-fought home win against another quality upper-crust NBA team for the Bucks! Yeah! The Bucks defeated the Heat 96-90 tonight at the Bradley Center, as Michael Redd scored 40 points to pace the Purple and Green. However, he fouled out late in the 4th, but 7'1" rookie forward/center Philip Fitzpatrick was equally great with a 19 point, 9 rebound, 4 block performance. Fightin' Fitzie had a far better performance than Miami's Shaq O'Neal, who had 13 points, 6 rebounds and NO blocks. In fact, the Bucks' Jamaal Magloire had more rebounds (12) tonight than the Diesel. Also, Bobby Simmons was excellent, with 14 points and 8 rebounds. The Bucks did their best in stopping Dwyane Wade, but he had 27 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. And Gary Payton, filling in for an injured Jason Williams (who was hurt in today's game, he'll be out for 5 contests) was superb from the bench with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Even though Miami outrebounded the Bucks (46 to 42) and outdistributed them (24 to 13), the Bucks forced Miami to commit 11 turnovers while they only made 6. Now that's how you play winning defensive basketball! Now the Bucks travel to Boston, where they will play the Celtics on Friday, and Philip Fitzpatrick will be visiting his friend Fr. Harold Feeney, who used to be his grade school principal at Notre Dame Catholic School in New Hyde Park... should be an interesting visit to one of Philip's favorite cities, Boston...

Knicks chase the Bucks all the way to New Hyde Park

Horrible homecoming for Fightin' Fitzie

The Knicks handed the Bucks a hard defeat, 96-85 as guard Stephon Marbury and center Eddy Curry had 24 points each, and Jalen Rose was the only other Knick in double figures with 10. There were many reasons why there were many mistakes the Bucks had tonight. Other than Michael Redd, who scored 35 points, the Bucks did not have any offensive scoring power at all. Also, the Bucks outrebounded New York 47 to 33, with no player on both sides hauling down double-digit rebounds, to add insult to injury, they also had more offensive rebounds, 14-3. And then there was Milwaukee's poor shooting, as they were 34-for-81 from the field, despite being 6-for-11 from 3-point land. And there was Fitzie. Philip Fitzpatrick, the 7'1" power forward/center with size 19 shoes, a native of New Hyde Park, New York, had an off game with 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks. The Knick fans jeered the rookie out of Notre Dame in front of his family and friends when he had 2 quick fouls in the 1st minute of the game. The Bucks (12-7) did not have their A game today against a Knicks team that is now 8-12. And on Wednesday, the Bucks will have to face a tough Miami Heat team that is one of the best in the East. Hope you can join me at the Bradley Center for this game.

By the way, the Fitzpatricks welcomed Philip home to his hometown of New Hyde Park, he also had his #54 retired by St. Mary's High School in Manhasset. And yes, the Fitzpatricks had their family meal together, even though his brother Aidan and his sister Kathleen are at Notre Dame, his brother Luke is playing for the Islanders' minor league team in Bridgeport, and his other basketball-playing brothers Liam and Conor have signed their letter of content. Liam (from St. Anthony's), the 6'8", 250 lb. forward/center agreed to play for Notre Dame while Conor, a 6'2", 190 lb. guard will go to Iona next season. And the Fitzpatrick family flew all the way from New Hyde Park to Philip and his wife Erin's apartment in downtown Milwaukee for Thanksgiving. The Fitzpatricks will be back in Milwaukee beginning December 17 to celebrate Christmas with their beloved son.

Bucks win, Bucks win! BUCKS WIN! A big comeback over LeBron & Co., 124 to 120!

(ON THE LEFT)

And so it continues, but better luck in January against

the Bucks, LBJ and Cleveland.

(ON THE RIGHT) Big Cat had his best game as a Buck against Cleveland.

The Bucks continue to win huge games, and tonight against LeBron James and the up-and-coming Cleveland Cavaliers, they came back from a 70-57 halftime deficit to beat the Cavs, 124-120 tonight at the Bradley Center, raising their record to 12-6 so far this season. All 5 starters scored in double figures for the Bucks, led by Michael Redd, who had 31 points and 5 rebounds. 7-foot-1 inch rookie sensation Philip Fitzpatrick had another solid night, he had 20 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks. T.J. Ford also shined in the game, he had 19 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. And even though he fouled out late in the game, Jamaal Magloire had an outstanding night, scoring 20 points on 9-for-10 shooting and hauled down 10 rebounds. Every player on the Bucks (except guard Jermaine Jackson) scored in the game, with Bobby Simmons netting 10 points, Mo Williams adding 8 points, Joe Smith, Dan Gadzuric and Toni Kukoc had 4 points each while Charlie Bell and Jiri Welsch each had 3 points as the Bucks had a well-rounded scoring attack, registering a season-high 124 points scored tonight. The Cavaliers were led by LeBron James, he had 41 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, as he led a Cavs team that had 6 players in double figures. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 15 points and Ronald "Flip" Murray tallied 12 points for Cleveland. Cleveland's top rebounder was Anderson Varejao, who had a game-high 11 rebounds, along with 8 points (on 4-of-4 shooting), 4 assists, 2 steals and a block. The Bucks outscored the Cavs 69-50 in the 2nd half, led by "Fightin' Fitzie" with 13 points and Magloire with 12. And the Bucks cooled off a hot LeBron, who scored 30 in the 1st half, they held him to just 11 points in the last 24 minutes. So the Bucks win a shootout at the BC Corral against the James Gang, now they head to New York as they play at Madison Square Garden, taking on the Knicks on December 12. That means it's a homecoming for Bucks' center-forward Philip Fitzpatrick, who lives in New Hyde Park, N.Y., and has invited his family and friends to see him play. Hope Fightin' Fitzie's family and friends send Spike Lee, Whoopi Goldberg, Woody Allen and the New York A-list Knick fans home very early during the game...

Celebrate, BucksNation, we can do it!

A game that will live in infamy on this December 7, 2005.

The King is coming on December 10, BucksNation. Are you ready?

After an exciting win against the L.A. Lakers last night, the Bucks were back on the losing end of the deal tonight as the Philadelphia 76ers blasted them 101-78 as Allen Iverson dropped 33 on the 11-6 Bucks while Chris Webber added a bruising 28 and 8 to give Philly their 1st win of this season series with Milwaukee. Philadelphia's defense was very tight in the first half as they held our heroes in purple and green to just 25 1st half points. Twenty-five 1st half points. Disgusting. What's more, Andre Iguodala and Co. made Michael Redd miss his first 10 shots of the game! But, Redd did end up with a respectable 23 points, so that's not bad. Philip Fitzpatrick was limited to just 6 shots, but made 4 of 'em, but his erratic free throw shooting continued to show as he went 1-for-4 from the line tonight, however, his 9 points were accompanied by a strong 12 rebound, 4 assist, 2 steal and 4 block performance, so that's pretty good. Also pretty good was T.J. Ford's shooting. T.J. was 7-for-10 from the field, and he wound up with 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists tonight. And Bobby Simmons had 11 points and 6 rebounds. But Bobby was 4-for-13 in field goals tonight... I was impressed about Dan Gadzuric's night. Danny G was a force on the floor making 4 of his 5 shots and he also led the Bucks with 3 offensive rebounds, as the Bucks outrebounded Philly 45-39 in today's game.However...Even though the Bucks were 33 of 73 from the field (45.2%) and 5 of 7 from long distance, the Seventy-Sixers took advantage of their 51.3% shooting accuracy (41 of 80) and they forced the Bucks to commit 14 turnovers, in contrast, they only committed 5.Still, the only good thing to come out of this is that the Bucks are 11-6, still the leader in the Central Division. But on Saturday, December 10, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers come to the Bradley Center, and in later days for the rest of this month, the Atlantic Division champion Celtics (12/16 at TD Banknorth Garden), the world champion Spurs (12/20 at the Bradley Center--Philip Fitzpatrick's birthday!) and the Southeast Conference champ Heat (12/27 at AmericanAirlines Arena) await tough challenges and a rough 17-game stretch in January follows. Hope the Bucks can survive through this...

Bucks are 53-minute men in defeating Lakers in OT.

I played a thrilling game of Strat-O-Matic basketball, part of my 2005-06 Milwaukee Bucks replay, and on December 6, 2005, the Bucks defeated the L.A. Lakers 108-102 in overtime! The Bucks were in control for most of the game until the Lakers came back and made it a close game. The Bucks were up 94-92 with the last action card left in regulation, and Kobe Bryant gave Lamar Odom an open shot, which was a buzzer beating shot that sent the game into overtime. The game went back and forth, both teams changing leads in the extra period, but my man Fightin' Philip Fitzpatrick would put the game away late with 6 points in overtime, and Jamaal Magloire's slam dunk coming from a dazzler by T.J. Ford helped seal the win for the Bucks. Michael Redd out-dueled Kobe in a battle of high-scoring Olympic heroes, with Redd scoring 37 points and Bryant adding 36, but it was the 7-foot-1 Fightin' Fitzie, Philip Fitzpatrick, who was the star of the game. Philip had a career high 30 points, grabbed a career best-tying 19 rebounds (3rd time this season he has had 19 rebounds), had 6 assists and he also blocked 6 shots! He also had 5 slam dunks!Fitzie was the reason the Bucks won tonight, and he is also the reason they are 11-5, they are in 1st place in the Central Division. Anyway, I am going to recap the Bucks-76ers game December 7 up next... (Pictured from left to right, the three players who scored more than 30 points in tonight's game: Michael Redd, Philip Fitzpatrick and Kobe Bryant!)

And the winner is Dwight Howard, with a little help from his friends! Orlando snaps Milwaukee's 5-game winning streak.

Saturday, December 3 at the Bradley Center

game 15 of the 2005-06 season

Orlando Magic 106,Milwaukee Bucks 97

6 different Orlando players scored in double figures, led by Jameer Nelson's 25 points, and the Magic scored the last 10 points of the game late in the 4th quarter as they beat the Bucks 106-97 tonight. Despite not having a player with more than 6 rebounds (the Bucks out-rebounded them 48-35), the Magic made more than 57% of their field goals compared to the Bucks shooting less than 40% for the game. Grant Hill was superb off the bench with 16 points and Dwight Howard had 13 for the winners. Michael Redd led all scorers with 29 points, Philip Fitzpatrick had 14 points and 10 rebounds, Bobby Simmons had 14 points and 8 rebounds while Jamaal Magloire had 7 points and 12 rebounds to pace Milwaukee (10-5).The Bucks face Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers December 6 at the Bradley Center.By the way, Philip Fitzpatrick's stats after 15 games:

field goal percentage: 58.6%

free throw percentage: 51.3%

points per game: 14.7

rebounds per game: 12.6

assists per game: 4.6

Bucks make some Wizardry of their own, as they make Washington's chances of winning disappear. Milwaukee 85, D.C. 84.

game #14 of 2005-06 season

December 2 at MCI Center

Bucks 95 Wizards 94

Michael Redd scored 36 points and Bobby Simmons added a career-high 30 as the Bucks improved to 10-4 with a 95-94 squeaker over the Washington Wizards this evening. Redd was 14-for-27 from the field while Simmons was 12-for-16 as Milwaukee continues to keep winning. The Bucks' rookie power forward, 7'1" Philip Fitzpatrick, had a huge game with 13 points, 19 rebounds (tying a personal best), 9 assists and 3 blocks. He even was 5-for-8 from the free throw line! Washington was led by Gilbert Arenas, who had 28 points and 8 assists, but 3 of his shots were blocked by Fitzie. Jarvis Hayes had 18 points, Antawn Jamison had 16 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists and Caron Butler had 13 points and 7 rebounds. The Bucks would win by just 1 despite leading by 12 at the end of the 1st quarter, but they hung on to win.The Bucks return to the Bradley Center tomorrow to face the Orlando Magic.

Tim Russert (R.I.P.) was an avid Wizards fan, and he was Irish-Catholic like Philip Fitzpatrick. Luke Russert (Tim's son) went to Boston College, a rival of Philip's alma mater Notre Dame. If it's Sunday it's Meet the Press, but if it's Friday, December 2, 2005, Russ was at the MCI Center for the Bucks-Wizards game.

Dorothy (played by an actress with Fitzpatrick blood and lineage) was right. There's no place like home. Bucks upset both Detroit and Dallas!

And after dismantling the Bad Boys. Dirk Nowitzki (41) had a few more enemies/friends as TJ Ford (left) scored a buzzer beating basket from Philip Fitzpatrick (right), as the Bucks squeaked past the Mavs.

Yes, He Does Go To Work, But The Pistons Were Lazy Against The Bucks.

What a difference a night makes... After being blown out by Minnesota last night, the Bucks returned the favor onthe best team in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons, 104-89, as our hero, Fightin' Philip Fitzpatrick equaled a career high with 27 points while hauling down 13 rebounds. Michael Redd had his usual 20+ scoring night, racking up 24 points while the Bucks bullied Detroit on the boards, as Jamaal Magloire grabbed 14 rebounds, Fitzpatrick 13 and Bobby Simmons 12. By the way, Milwaukee outrebounded 'Bad Boys 2' 51 to 35! Another great achievement for Fitzie was that he made all 5 free throws he attempted! That put Philip at 50% for the season in free throws! Incidentally, the Bucks were 11-for-11 from the foul line. The only bright spot for Detroit was that Richard Hamilton led all scorers with 29 points. 'Bad Boys 2' would like to get their revenge when the Bucks come to Auburn Hills for the next meeting in January, but they must try to stop that 7'1" redhead with size 19 feet, Fightin' Philip Fitzpatrick!

Tuesday, November 29 at the Bradley Center:Bucks 85 Mavericks 83

Even though he only scored 11 points and grabbed just 7 rebounds, while dishing out 3 assists and blocking 2 shots, Philip Fitzpatrick made a difference in Milwaukee's 85-83 win over a good Dallas team. First, in the second quarter, Fightin' Fitzie made a open shot 3-pointer, making him 5-for-5 in three-point territory this season. And, with the score knotted up at 83, Fitzie made a dazzler pass to T.J. Ford, who made the game-winning layup with 0.5 seconds left. Fitzie can surprise you at any turn, whether shooting the ball, grabbing a big rebound, dishing out an assist, blocking a shot, even surprising you with a 3-pointer. That is what makes this 7'1" big fella out of Notre Dame special. Unfortunately, Fitzie's free throw shooting was out of synch, as he was 2-for-6 from the charity stripe, putting him below 50% from the line so far this year. And he was a great free throw shooter at Notre Dame! Anyway, the Bucks were winning ugly, as they made less than 40% of their shots (32-for-82), and it was a very low-scoring game. Michael Redd, the Bucks' leading scorer, scored 20 points, but did a miserable job shooting the ball as he was 6-for-20 from the field, but he did grab 7 rebounds, dish out 4 assists and also had 2 steals. Bobby Simmons was also in a shooting funk, going 5-for-16, but he had 8 rebounds. And Jamaal Magloire was 3-for-9, but for the 2nd straight game, he led the team in rebounds with 11.
The Bucks won, thanks to defense.

They held the Mavs' All-Star forward, Dirk Nowitzki to just 12 points, and Josh Howard was mired in a 1-for-7 shooting disaster. Dallas shot better than Milwaukee, led by the game's leading scorer, Jason Terry, with 25 points and Jerry Stackhouse, with 19, but the Mavs just were not making shots, and that is how they lost. As for the Bucks, they end up with a good start to the season, they end November with a 9-4 record, and as they start December with a game in Washington on the 2nd, one thing is clear: Philip Fitzpatrick will be the NBA Rookie of the Month for November. Congratulations, Fitzie!

Fitzpatrick's family, continued...

Msgr. Hugh Fitzpatrick, is Philip's uncle. Father Sean Fitzpatrick, oldest of the Fighting Fitzpatrick brothers.

An old picture of Finley Fitzpatrick, Philip's grandfather.

Extra: meet the Fitzpatrick brothers!

This is Philip's dad Henry, he's a former basketball player. He played for the Spurs, Nuggets and Kings. He was 6'9"/250 when he started his pro career, now he's 6'9"/300, maybe 310! Here are Philip's other brothers....

Aidan (right) is a defensive tackle for Notre Dame's
football team. Here he is with Patrick "Fat Pat" Doyle!

Philip's other brothers Conor and Colin. Colin is a great chemist, but he is a 6'9", 230 lb. pitcher for the Royals. He has size 19 feet and a 101 mph fast ball!

Don't let Luke's beard fool you. He is a young man, but he and Conor are following in Philip's footsteps playing basketball. Conor is playing for Notre Dame and Luke is playing for Iona. Conor is a junior forward for the Irish and Luke just wrapped up his sophomore year with the Gaels.

For the Wolves, something to howl about. For the Bucks, they cried wolf.

at the Target Center, November 25, 2005:Well, this is a disaster. The Bucks looked very, very flat tonight against Minnesota after a very impressive showing 2 days ago against Philadelphia. The result: A 107-70 blowout for the Timberwolves. Ricky Davis led the T-Wolves with 23 points and (as you all can expect) Kevin Garnett had a big night with 22 points, 16 rebounds and 4 assists while Mark Blount had 14 points and 10 rebounds. I just was disgusted by the Bucks' performance tonight. Michael Redd was their leading scorer, but he only had 17 points, followed by Bobby Simmons with 15 and Philip Fitzpatrick with 10. It was a bad night for Fitzy... he was 4-for-12 from the field, a disastrous 2-for-8 from the foul line, and he only had 2 rebounds. On the bright side, he did have 3 assists and 2 blocks, though. What really made me disappointed in the Bucks was that they shot just 30.4 % from the field and 64.3% from the charity stripe compared to the T-Wolves' 56.5% field goal rate and a perfect 8-for-8 from the line, and the Wolves outrebounded the Bucks 55-45 and had twice the assists of Milwaukee, 22 to 11. All told, not a good night to be a Bucks fan. And it gets worse: the Detroit Pistons come to the Bradley Center tomorrow. I'll fill you in on the details in the next post.

Bucks 86 the Sixers, they are now 7-3!

Philadelphia 88

Bucks 111

Iverson hung 45 on the Bucks, but

Michael Redd and Fightin' Fitzie dominated the Sixers throughout the night!

The Bucks are beginning to be the most surprising team in the NBA, as their record improved to 7-3 after their 111-88 win over the Philadelphia 76ers tonight. Michael Redd led the Bucks with 36 points, Bobby Simmons had 18 points and 6 rebounds, T.J. Ford had 15 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists and of course, rookie Philip Fitzpatrick had 16 points, 19 rebounds, 6 assists and a block. For Philadelphia, Allen Iverson had 45 points (what else is new?) and Chris Webber had 18 points.Notes on tonight's game:Michael Redd has been an explosive scoring threat after the first 10 games for the Bucks. He is averaging 36.3 points per game so far!The Lumbering Leprechaun, Philip Fitzpatrick, has been the top rookie so far in the NBA. After 10 games, the 6'11", 265 lb. rookie power forward from Notre Dame is averaging 14.6 points, 13.4 rebounds and 5 assists a game!Allen Iverson has had the two highest scoring games for an opposing player so far this year. His 45 points tonight eclipses his 42 point effort on November 1, Opening Night.The Bucks shot exceptionally well tonight as they hit 53.7% of their shots (44 for 82) and 53.8% of their treys (7 for 13). Philly was 35 for 73 from the field (47.9%) and was 3 for 8 from 3-point land (37.5%). The Bucks also did better in the free throw department (Milwaukee:16 for 20, 80%, Philadelphia 15 for 22, 68.2 %.) Milwaukee also won the battle of the boards, outrebounding the Sixers 45-35 (thanks to Mr. Fitzpatrick's 19 rebounds-that tied a career high, he also had 19 on November 2 at New Jersey). However, the 76ers had more assists, 21 to 20. In the turnover department, the 76ers committed 10 turnovers while the Bucks only coughed up the ball 5 times.The Bucks outscored Philly in every quarter, and in the 2nd period, the Bucks held the Sixers to a season-low 12 points.So the Bucks are now 7-3, on November 25, the Bucks travel to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Expect Philip Fitzpatrick to be seriously defended by the T-Wolves' Kevin Garnett in that game...

Bucks win in Salt Lake City, 2-2 on Western swing.

November 21 at Delta Center Energy Solutions Arena: Bucks 113 Jazz 111. Michael Redd had 33 points and Philip Fitzpatrick had a career best 27 points to go along with 15 rebounds, 4 assists and a block as all 5 Bucks starters scored in double figures. Andrei Kirilenko had a double-double for Utah with 25 points and 13 rebounds while Mehmet Okur had 22 points.

The Bucks are now a surprising 6-3 in the season so far, and they host Philadelphia on the day before Thanksgiving.

Bucks win one, then lose one in NoCal...

November 16 at The Arena in Oakland, now Oracle Arena: Bucks 103 Warriors 88. Michael Redd scored a career high 48 points in tonight's game while Bobby Simmons had 23 points and 4 steals to lead the Bucks to the win,as they improved to 5-2. Jason Richardson led Golden State with 27 points and Baron Davis had 17 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. Milwaukee's Philip Fitzpatrick only had 6 points, but he hauled down 14 rebounds, blocked 2 shots...and he handed out 11 assists! Not bad for a 6'11", 265-pound big fella!

November 18 at Arco Arena: Kings 101 Bucks 97. Mike Bibby led Sac-town with 30 points while Brad Miller had 20 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists as the Kings handed the Bucks their 3rd loss in this, their 8th game of the 2005-2006 campaign. Michael Redd followed his 48 point performance in the game against the Warriors with a 44 point effort while Bobby Simmons had a career high 29 points. Philip Fitzpatrick was held to just 6 points, but the 6'11" rookie power forward from Notre Dame had 15 rebounds, 6 assists and a career high 6 blocked shots!
On to Utah to finish the road trip...

Bucks get Clipped in Los Angeles!

This was my 1st advanced version replay of the 2005-06 Bucks replay,and the Bucks looked a lot flat to start this 4-game western road trip as the Clippers defeated the Bucks 101-92 as Milwaukee's record is now 4-2. Once again,Michael Redd led the Bucks in scoring with 33,and Philip Fitzpatrick had a solid night with 15/8/4,but the Bucks just could not make baskets as they made only 39.4% of their field goals compared to the Clippers' 48.6%. Elton Brand scored 24 points to lead the Clips and Sam Casselll added 20 while Corey Maggette had 16/8 and Chris Kaman had 14/11. If we need to win more games,we need to improve on making field goals,'cause 39.4 just does not cut it.
Los Angeles Clippers 101
Milwaukee Bucks 92
Elton Brand 24 pts 5 rebs 3 asts
Sam Cassell 20 pts 3 asts
Chris Kaman 14 pts 11 rebs
Michael Redd team high 33 points
Philip Fitzpatrick 15 pts 8 rebs 4 asts
Bobby Simmons 9 pts 7 rebs
Up next for the Bucks (4-2):A trip up to the Bay Area as they face the Warriors in Oakland on November 16.

Michael is Redd hot as the Bucks edge Indy!

Tonight,we witnessed another Redd hot performance by Michael Redd as he scored 43 points to lead the Bucks past Indiana 93-90 tonight as our record is now 4-1. Perhaps the storng points in Mike's big game was his 6 for 9 in 3-point attempts and the Pacers committing so much fouls on him,that he made 17 of 19 from the line...incredible! Besides Redd's big 43 point night,well there was nothing else,really. Philip "The Lumbering Leprechaun" Fitzpatrick had another double double with just 12 points and 10 rebounds,as Jermaine O'Neal (who had 28 and 10 to lead Indy) was a definite beast against the young Fitzpatrick,even though Fitzy had a good height advantage (Fitzy's 6'11" and O'Neal is 6'10"). Elsewhere,Joe Smith was great off the bench scoring 12 points on 4 of 6 shooting and 4 of 5 from the stripe as he looked very good in just 13 minutes of work. What impressed me the most about our 4-1 start is that we are playing great defense. In all of our 4 wins,we have held our opponents to under 100 points! But starting Tuesday,the Bucks begin a tough 4-game Western road swing which will prove that if we are up and coming or just the same old Bucks...we'll see,my friends.

Milwaukee Bucks 93 Indiana Pacers 90

Bucks

Michael Redd game high 43 points

Philip Fitzpatrick double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. He also had 4 assists.

Joe Smith 12 points off the bench in just 13 minutes

Pacers

Jermaine O'Neal 28 points and 10 rebounds-team leader in points

Stephen Jackson 20 points and 9 rebounds

Peja Stojakovic 13 points and a team high 12 rebounds

Up next for the Bucks:The start of a 4-game west coast road trip beginning in Los Angeles,as they take on an improved Clippers team Tuesday,November 15 at Staples Center!

Simple math for Bucks Nation: D+O+(4-1)=1ST PLACE! Bucks blast Golden State!

Bucks 95,Warriors 79.This game recap is brought to you by the letter D for defense and W for win and by the numbers 95 and 79.My Bucks played a terrific game tonight as they completely shut down the Golden State Warriors 95-79 tonight at the BC. After 3 quarters,we were up by an astounding score of 78 to 46 as everything went right for the Bucks and everything went wrong for the visitors from the Bay Area. Some reasons for this Milwaukee win? Michael Redd,for example,had a big night. He had 36 points to lead the attack,going 13-27 from the field and 5 of 10 from deep as he led the charge. And in the Battle of the Domers,our Philip Fitzpatrick dominated Troy Murphy. Fitz had a career high 20 points while grabbing 15 rebounds tonight,and knocked Murphy to the floor so hard,he was injured,and he would not play for the rest of the game. (He would miss the next game,too.) It was an all out dominant performance by the Purple and Green,and I can't wait 'til our first intra-divisional game Tuesday,November 12 when the Pacers come to the Bradley Center!
Golden State Warriors 14 13 19 33=79
Milwaukee Bucks 20 28 30 17=95
Warriors:Jason Richardson 16 points
Baron Davis 16 points,6 rebounds and 10 assists
Mickael Pietrus 15 points and 8 rebounds.
Bucks (3-1)Michael Redd 36 points
Philip Fitzpatrick 20 points and 15 rebounds
Bobby Simmons 10 points,6 rebounds and 4 assists.
Next up for the Bucks:We wrap up our 3-game homestand with our first game against teams from our own division as the Indiana Pacers come to the Bradley Center on November 12!

This is what Philip looks like:

Fitzpatrick is a 6'11", 275 lb. forward/center, a rookie from Notre Dame, and he is the focus of my replay. Hope you can follow my replay all season long.

Philip was profiled in a local newspaper, enjoy.

Born and raised a devout Catholic, Phillip Fitzpatrick didn't take long to find his true calling.An early growth spurt pushed the freckle-faced youth to a surprising six feet by the time he was 12. Awkward at first, he suffered through a tough developmental phase, before finally becoming accustomed to the attention his size gained him. He slowly added weight to his height and became a force on the schoolyard basketball court, although his sometimes-bruising style of play got him into a few scrapes."You might say I did my time in the confessional," he admits.In high school, he developed a solid interior game, his limited leaping ability actually forcing him to improve his footwork and positioning. He also became adept at rotating the ball out of double teams, to the spot-up jump shooters dotting the perimeter."Fitzie," as he was commonly called, became a crowd favorite through his work ethic. He willingness to help other players is an extension of his natural openness, which blossomed as his confidence grew."I always just liked to help people," he said in a recent interview. "It's the way I was brought up."Drafted in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks, Fitzpatrick has been a quick study, according to the coaching staff. He is frequently among the last to leave after team practices."We project him to be a 15-10 player, and a solid presence underneath the basket. His quickness is not A-Grade, but his all-around savvy and positioning are excellent for a young player. He's picking up on things real quick."While he searches for a more permanent residence, Phillip is sharing a small apartment with his wife, Erin, and their toddler triplets, Liam, Ireland and Finlay."We wanted a family, but we didn't know just how quick we'd have a full house," he said with a laugh, surprised at how fast his life is changing."There are so many things going on right now, I'd like to keep things as simple as possible," he says. "A house is a big deal, and we want to find just the right place. We only just got a larger car, because of the triplets. I was never big on stuff like that. My old Civic was always good enough for me."You know, my Dad worked at several jobs over the years. We never had a lot of 'stuff.' We always had food on the table, and new clothes when we needed them."But my brothers and I were taught the value of a dollar. I know that sounds corny, but that's just the way we were raised."

You can't win 'em all...

Fitzie led the Bucks in rebounds, though...


D-Wade leads Heat past Bucks,spoiling home opener

It was hard to stop Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat tonight,as Flash scored 38 points tonight. He was helped out by Jason Williams,who had 24,and even though he fouled out Shaq O'Neal had 16. Mike Redd matched D-Wade by scoring 38,and Philip Fitzpatrick had an impressive home debut with 14 points,8 rebounds and 4 assists. Philip enjoyed his first taste of Milwaukee nightlife by going to Fitzgibbons' after the game,and then told his 4 kids bedtime stories until 2am,then the Fitzpatricks went to Mass on Sunday morning.Heat 111,Bucks 98Bucks record is now 2-1.Wade 38 pts 5 reb 6 astJ. Williams 24 pts 5 reb 6 astO'Neal 16 pts,fouled outRedd 38 ptsFitzpatrick 14 pts 8 reb 4 astMagloire 7 pts 8 rebsSimmons 12 pts 5 rebs

November 2nd, Bucks net a victory at East Rutherford, beating Jersey.

Bucks (2-0) 94,Nets 83.What did Philip Fitzpatrick do today?:Bucks F/C Philip Fitzpatrick,a native of Rockaway,N.Y. (and a graduate of Notre Dame! Thanks Baseball in DC for that idea!) invited his family and friends to tonight's game in East Rutherford,and they were treated to a special night as we will see later. The New York media was also there to see the #1 overall pick in the '05 NBA Draft and Fitz said that returning home as an NBA player for the 1st time ever was special and he and his wife Erin and their 4 kids will love Milwaukee so much and will keep in touch with his family back at home all the time.The 3 good things for the Bucks.Philip Fitzpatrick is truly Fighting Irish on the court.:In only his 2nd game in the NBA,The Lumbering Leprechaun had a big night with 16 points and an astounding 19 rebounds. Fitz got his Irish up against Nenad Krstic and Scott Padgett and bullied them like an Irishman getting his revenge on the British. A toast of a pint of Guinness for the 7'1" young fella from Notre Dame!Michael Redd came alive with 25.:The Bucks scoring leader was once again Michael Redd,who scored 25 points,which included 4 treys. Redd is averaging 26 PPG and is 46.7% successful from beyond the arc. He could be an All-Star again...Mo was the Mo' Valuable Bench Player tonight.:Mo Williams was impressive in limited action,scoring 11 points in just 12 minutes,as he and T.J. Ford combined for 21 points tonight (T.J. had 10 points and 6 rebounds.) Looks like we have double the excitement at the PG position.Three bad news for the Bucks.From feast to famine for one night for Bobby Simmons. After scoring 26 points last night at Philly,Bobby was atrocious tonight,going just 2 of 15 for 4 points. Who will Bucks fans see Saturday in the home opener:the Bobby who did well on Tuesday or the Bobby who was flat out horrible tonight? We will find out...Big Cat declawed by poor shooting. Despite an 9 point,11 rebound night,Jamaal Magloire was plagued by bad shooting,going 2 of 12. But combined with Fitzpatrick's 19 boards,Magloire and Philip may be the best 4-5 combo in the NBA!The Bucks were winning ugly,thanks to shooting woes. Despite winning by 11,we just were shooting more blanks than baskets,as we made 39.8% of our shots. Simmons and Magloire were responsible for a combined 4 of 27 (14.8%) of this,while the rest of the team shot 46.2%The most important number of the game:58. That was the number of total rebounds we had tonight,compared to New Jersey's 34. Add that to the Nets' 37.8% shooting percentage,and the Bucks ability to knock the 3 ball (8 of 12 for 66.7%) and that all adds up to a 94-83 win,and a 2-0 start in the Philip Fitzpatrick era in Milwaukee.Bucks 94,Nets 83Michael Redd 25 pts,4 rebsPhilip Fitzpatrick 16 pts,19 rebsMo Williams 11 pts in just 12 minsRichard Jefferson 25 pts 4 rebsJason Kidd 16 pts 4 reb 7 astVince Carter held to just 13 pts and 4 of 15 shooting. Up next for the Bucks:The home opener! The Bucks host Shaquille O'Neal,Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat on Saturday,November 5 at the Bradley Center. The game can be seen at 7:30 on UPN 24 (WCGV-TV Milwaukee) and can be heard on News Radio 620 WTMJ.