Trevor Booker leads Wizards past Bucks in preseason showdown

Milwaukee, WI, United States (4E Sports) – Trevor Booker poured in 18 of his 22 points in the first half and playmaker AJ Price tallied 17 points and 11 assists as the Washington Wizards snapped a two-game losing streak with a 102-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday at BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Shooting 10-for-17 from the field and grabbing seven boards in 22 minutes, Booker’s strong play has made him a favorite to fill the Wizards’ power forward spot in the regular season.

Last season, the 6-8 Booker bumped Andray Blatche from the Wizards starting lineup and averaged career highs of 8.4 points and 6.5 rebounds but missed the final 15 games with plantar fasciitis.

Jordan Crawford finished with 17 points off the bench while 2012 first-round pick Bradley Beal added 10 points on 5-for-12 shooting for the Wizards, who are still missing the services of injured point guard John Wall and center Nene.

Monta Ellis scored 19 points to go with eight assists and Brandon Jennings backed him with 16 points and seven rebounds for the Bucks (2-3), who have lost three straight after starting preseason with wins over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons.

Ersan Ilyasova added 14 points while Beno Udrih and Mike Dunleavy chipped in 12 apiece off the bench for Milwaukee, which grabbed a 23-22 lead in the first quarter despite committing six turnovers and shooting 30.4 percent from the field.

Booker suddenly waxed hot, scoring 12 points while Crawford hit three three-pointers in the second period to push the Wizards (2-4) to a 54-48 halftime lead.

Ellis and Jennings tried to spark the Bucks in the third period but the Wizards were too tough. Behind Trevor Ariza’s seven points, Washington padded its lead to 76-66, with four minutes left in the period.

The Bucks never gave up, grabbing an 87-86 lead after a three-pointer by Jennings. But it lasted just 36 seconds as the Wizards retaliated with a short 7-1 blast for a 93-88 advantage.

The Bucks had several chances to steal the victory but Ellis, Jennings and Ilyasova committed several turnovers and missed crucial shots down the stretch.

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