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Bucks sink Heat

Photo

Photo by AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Milwaukee Bucks guard Jerry Stackhouse is fouled by Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley (30) in the second quarter during an NBA basketball game in Miami, Monday.

MIAMI — Milwaukee’s first 10 shots were all off the mark. Good thing, or else the Bucks would have made a long night even worse for the fast-fading Miami Heat.

Andrew Bogut had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Carlos Delfino finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds and the Bucks beat Miami for the second time in three nights,

97-81, Monday to climb within two games of the Heat for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot.

“We definitely have a chance to make the playoffs, but it will come down to every game,” Bogut said. “Every game is important. Winning these two games is huge.”

Charlie Bell and Hakim Warrick each scored 12 for the Bucks, who outscored Miami, 54-27, over the final 19½ minutes of the first half.

Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 23 points, including single-handedly scoring the first 11 of the game. From there, the Heat went ice cold, setting season-lows by shooting 17.6 percent in the first quarter and 27.5 percent in the half.

Michael Beasley scored 16 and Udonis Haslem finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds for Miami, which has lost four of its past five and plays only one more home game in the next three weeks.

Milwaukee improved to

11-1 since the start of last season when Bogut gets at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.

“He’s had a lot of performances where he looks like an All-Star-caliber-type center,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. “The problems he’s had over the years, but not as much this year, is inconsistency. He’s becoming more consistent.”

Notes

-- Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings is Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for the third consecutive time.

Jennings started all 15 games in January for the Bucks, averaging 14.2 points and 6.6 assists. He joins Raymond Felton (2005-06), Al Horford (2007-08) and Derrick Rose (2008-09) as three-time winners of the monthly award that began in the 2005-06 season.

-- Bucks backup center Francisco Elson will miss six weeks after having surgery to repair a hernia.