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.