LEAD: Cold-shooting Bucks shut down Heat, 91-82

By Paul Levine Jan 23, 2012, 7:32 GMT

Los Angeles - The cold-shooting Milwaukee Bucks couldn't buy a basket Sunday night, so they called on their stingy defence to get the job done.

Brandon Jennings scored 23 points, including a key layup in the final minute, and the Bucks shut down the Miami Heat 91-82, for their second straight road win after opening the season 0-8.

'This is a team that averaged about 105 points a game and we stopped them,' said Jennings, who shrugged off a 5-for-20 shooting night.

The Bucks won despite hitting a frosty 35 per cent of their floor shots. But they held the Heat to its lowest point total of the season - nearly 25 below its NBA-best average - on an equally miserable 37 field goal shooting while forcing 22 turnovers, leading to 22 points.

'We had great difficulty making shots but we made up for it with a tremendous effort,' Bucks head coach Scott Skiles said afterwards. 'Our defence was very, very good again and when we needed some hustle plays we were able to make them.'

Turkish Ersan Ilyasova had 16 points off the bench, while Australian Andrew Bogut added 13 for Milwaukee, which followed Friday's 100-86 road victory over New York with another impressive defensive effort.

'We're defensive team first, we like the grind out style and we know if we're going to win we have to keep teams under 90 points,' Bogut said. 'We took confidence from the New York game and had nothing to lose. We did a great job tonight.'

LeBron James had 28 points with 13 rebounds while Chris Bosh scored 23 for Miami, which had won three in a row since losing All-Star guard Dwyane Wade to a right ankle sprain.

'They got us somewhat out of our comfort zone,' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. 'We competed at times and we're matching their physicality but we couldn't come up with the loose balls or the rebounds and offensively we didn't take care of the ball.'

The Bucks led 83-80 after Bosh made two free throws with two minutes 15 seconds remaining. But Ilyasova countered with a pair at the other end, pushing the margin to 85-80.

After James missed a layup, Jennings grabbed Stephen Jackson's three-point try at the other end and made the game-sealing layin with 39.5 seconds left as the Bucks notched their fourth win in five visits to Miami.

'Brandon really hung in there tough tonight,' Skiles said. 'He was having a tough night from the field but it didn't let it get to him.

'To win, the guys should feel good about it because we were able to battle and get a good win over a very good club.'

Elsewhere: Indiana Pacers 98, LA Lakers 96: Roy Hibbert scored eight of his 18 points in the final quarter after suffering a broken nose early in the game, to pace six teammates in double figures and the visiting Pacers won their third in a row.

Kobe Bryant scored 33 but missed the potential game tying three-pointer in the closing seconds for the Lakers, who dropped their third straight contest.

LA Clippers 103, Toronto Raptors 91: Mo Williams poured in 19 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, DeAndre Jordan had 16 points with 16 rebounds, and the host Clippers sent the reeling Raptors to their eighth straight loss.

Brazilian Leandro Barsbosa netted 19 for the Raptors, who played without its top scorer Italy's Andrea Bargnani for the sixth straight game because of a left calf strain.

Boston Celtics 100, Washington Wizards 94: Paul Pierce poured in season-highs of 34 points with 10 assists and eight rebounds, carrying the visiting Celtics past the league-worst Wizards.

John Wall led Washington (2-14), with 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

New Jersey Nets 97, Charlotte Bobcats 87: Rookie Marshon Brooks scored 20 points while Deron Williams had 19, nine rebounds and 10 assists, as the Nets (5-12) trimmed the visiting Bobcats in a battle of two of the league's bottom-feeders.