Gerald Wallace had 21 points and 14 rebounds and the Charlotte Bobcats beat Milwaukee 94-84 on Monday night, a miserable performance for the Bucks that prompted coach Scott Skiles to bench Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut.
Flip Murray added 16 points for the Bobcats in a one-sided matchup of teams that figure to contend for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Bobcats built a 22-point halftime lead and Skiles didn't play Bogut or Redd in the second half after they combined to shoot 1 for 10. A makeshift lineup got the Bucks within 10 points early in the fourth quarter, but Milwaukee could get no closer in its 14th loss in 18 games.
Brandon Jennings had 24 points for the Bucks, who shot 38 percent and committed 17 turnovers.
After consecutive home losses where they allowed San Antonio to shoot 60 percent and Washington 53 percent, Skiles contemplated lineup changes before the game but decided to "give it another game and see how we do."
He changed his mind after the Bobcats outscored the Bucks 33-14 in the second quarter to take a 56-34 lead.
Bogut, who went 1 for 6 in the first half and Redd, who was 0 for 4, were on the bench to start the second half. And the teams' second- and third-leading scorers stayed there.
Kurt Thomas, rookie Jodie Meeks and Luc Mbah a Moute started the second half, with Carlos Delfino also benched.
A hodgepodge lineup that included Francisco Elson got Milwaukee back in it. Luke Ridnour scored 12 of his 17 points in the third quarter and Jennings' hoop early in the fourth made it 74-64.
But the Bobcats, who improved to 11-4 at home, took control from there. Wallace, who recorded his 18th double-double of the season, bounced back from a subpar effort in Saturday's loss at Oklahoma City.
The Bobcats also got a boost from the bench. Murray hit 6 of 17 shots, while Stephen Graham added 11 points and even DeSagana Diop contributed.
Entering the game without having scored a point and with two rebounds all season, Diop had seven points and three rebounds by halftime. It could've been more if he didn't airball a free throw.
Diop got minutes at center with Tyson Chandler missing his second straight game with a stress reaction in his left foot. Charlotte also overcame Stephen Jackson's 4-for-13 shooting night.
The Bucks, meanwhile, looked lost as Redd continued to struggle after their impressive 8-3 start. Redd had another rough night in his fourth game back from a knee injury. He's 2 for 13 in the last two games and the Bucks are 3-10 when he plays.
Redd and Bogut, who had five rebounds, spent the second half sitting next to each other on the bench as Milwaukee dropped to 15-5 against Charlotte.
NOTES: Skiles rejected Bobcats coach Larry Brown's pregame assessment that Jennings' declining numbers were linked to Redd's return from injury. "It's been quite a while since Brandon had one of those (big) games. He wasn't having them before Michael came back," he said. "At some point rookies are going to play like rookies." ... Brown was asked about Florida football coach Urban Meyer taking a leave of absence. "There's not a minute that goes by when you're not thinking about the team, your players," Brown said. "To get that balance with your family and taking care of yourself, it's a challenge."
