Jerry Heats Up 04.13.10 - 03:00pm

Jerry Stackhouse can sense the playoffs drawing closer, so it's no surprise that the skilled veteran has raised his game in recent weeks.

No. 24 only played 21 minutes off the bench on Monday night, but he made the most of it, especially during the second quarter, when he scored all 13 of his points.

But for the second game in a row, the Milwaukee Bucks took on a potential first-round playoff foe and lost, this time to the Atlanta Hawks, 104-96.

Alex Boeder of Brew Hoop said that Stack is providing exactly what he was signed for back in January: a terrific veteran presence and a spark off the bench:

"He completely carried the second quarter, throwing in a throwback 13 points thanks to his hot outside shot (3-4 on threes). That was the only quarter Milwaukee won, and they barely even won that (27-25) despite Stack’s heroics. Stackhouse, who by the way is extremely approachable and insightful after games, gave the Bucks a shot with his shot in the second quarter, scoring a quick 13 points to give some hope in a game that otherwise felt like a loss from a couple hours before start to finish."

HAWKS OR CELTS

The Miami Heat’s win combined with the Bucks’ loss means that the Heat have moved into the No. 5 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs.

However, if the Bucks can pull off a win in Boston Wednesday night in the regular season finale and somehow the Nets take down the Heat, the Bucks have the tiebreaker.

Joe Johnson scored 31 points against the Bucks on Monday night and could be a handful in the playoffs. Stack said the key for the Bucks could be to limit the players around him, as he told the LaCrosse Tribune:

"He’s going to have big games," Stackhouse said of Johnson. "If we can try to keep everyone else from becoming factors, that might be the key."

NEXT UP

The Bucks take on the Boston Celtics in their regular season finale Wednesday night, and with playoff implications and seeding on the line, it's a safe bet the Bucks will be going all out.

Stack has played Boston just once so far this season but played well in his 29 minutes off the bench. No. 24 dropped 12 points and grabbed four boards in Saturday’s loss to the C’s.
Tip-off is at 7:00 CST and all the action can be seen on FSN Wisconsin.

RELATED STORIES

Atlanta flies through Milwaukee, return visit likely (Brew Hoop, April 13, 2010)
http://www.brewhoop.com/2010/4/13/1417904/hawks-104-bucks-96
Johnson scores 31 to help Hawks beat Bucks (LaCrosse Tribune, April 12, 2010) http://www.lacrossetribune.com/sports/article_4f1fbdda-46b3-11df-8f06-00...