Bucks Enjoy Surprising Edge Against the Pacers

The Indiana Pacers, with the best record in the NBA, have only 20 losses. Three of them are to the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bucks got 25 points and 14 rebounds from Joe Smith en route to a 95-86 victory over Indiana on Tuesday night at Milwaukee. The teams play again tonight at Indiana.

“We’ve got another shot at them,” Pacer Coach Rick Carlisle said. “It’s a ... challenge because they’re a [heck] of a team. They’re the toughest team we’ve played. They really are.”

The victory ended a four-game home losing streak for the Bucks (37-37), their longest since 2000, and moved them into a tie for fourth in the Eastern Conference with New Orleans.

Jermaine O’Neal had 20 points for Indiana, which had its four-game winning streak ended.

Michael Redd had only 12 points for Milwaukee and played only eight minutes in the second half after suffering a cut near his right eye.

Denver 124, Seattle 119 -- Carmelo Anthony had a career-high 41 points at Denver to help the Nuggets move into a tie with idle Utah for the final Western Conference playoff spot.

Dallas 126, Cleveland 109 -- Dirk Nowitzki had 35 points and a season-high 18 rebounds, and Steve Nash had a season-high 31 points and 10 assists for the Mavericks at Dallas.

LeBron James had 28 points, but the Cavaliers fell two games behind Boston in the race for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Philadelphia 95, Golden State 71 -- Samuel Dalembert had 18 points and 13 rebounds to help the 76ers end the visiting Warriors’ seven-game winning streak. The 76ers held the Warriors to two field goals -- one on a goaltending call -- in the third quarter. The six points were the fewest given up by Philadelphia in a quarter.