MVN: Most Valuable Network

Click Here to view the Sabermetric Bucks Boxscore from last night's win over Toronto

Executive Summary of the Bucks home win

1. I somehow lost the long post I did on the game and I have no motivation to redo it, so just check out the boxscore above -- it explains the game from the Bucks perspective -- and below I have summarized my supplementary points:

2. That was a gutty and important win for the Bucks primarily because the team had to overcome a ridiculous, Nintendo-like performance by Chris Bosh (I refer to such performances by big men as "Bill Walton 03-26-73"). Bosh is a great player, though, so his performance wasn't a total shock, especially with Andrew Bogut out.  The near killer was the "Larry Bird at the 3 point contest" performance by Andrea Bargnani.  That almost did the Bucks in.  Bargnani is a one dimensional player and the Bucks for some reason allowed him to play in that one dimension.  Nearly unforgivable.

3. There's no question that the Bucks won the game in the backcourt   The Bucks received a tremendous performance from Michael Redd, and induced some awful performances by Toronto SG Jason Kapono and PG Will Solomon.  Those two were simply brutal.

4. All in all, the Bucks caught a huge break when Toronto PG Jose Calderon was unable to play.  With center Andrew Bogut out, Jose Calderon's presence probably would have turned  the game in Toronto's favor.

5. Whatever, though. The bottom line is the Bucks got one of those wins they had to have, defending their home court like a real contender. I thought it showed character.  It was certainly a game in which Milwaukee could have given in to the circumstances, but they did not, and that my friends is GENUINE Bucks basketball.

6. Toronto may have ironically caught a break when C Jermaine O'Neal did not play (how long is he out for now?).  It seems as though ever since the Palace brawl he has been a shell of himself.  His Marginal Win Score this season is -0.6. Toronto is much better with Bosh at center instead.  But the Raptors certainly missed Calderon.  The dropoff to Solomon was more than they could overcome.