Mo Williams atoned for some 4th quarter mistakes with two huge three-pointers in Milwaukee's overtime win against the Wizards on Sunday. (Getty)

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January 28, 2008

MILWAUKEE -- Plan A went out the window minutes before tip-off, when it was determined that Michael Redd and Charlie Villanueva wouldn’t play.

Plan B resulted in just two points through the first 6 minutes, 51 seconds of the game, 33-percent field-goal shooting in the opening quarter and just 15 points during those first 12 minutes.

So the Milwaukee Bucks resorted to Plan C, committed themselves to it and outlasted the Washington Wizards for a 105-102 overtime victory Jan. 27 at the Bradley Center.

So what was Plan C? You might say Coach Larry Krystkowiak turned to his shock troops – inserting guys like Awvee Storey, Michael Rufffin and Jake Voskuhl alongside last-minute starter Royal Ivey and Charlie Bell.

Storey’s contributions in particular were game-changing.

The 30-year-old swingman, who scored a pile of hustle points while playing for the Bucks’ Las Vegas Summer League team to earn a free-agent deal with the franchise, had played in only 13 of the team’s previous 44 games – a grand total of 84 minutes.

But he was ready when called upon, diving for loose balls, knifing in for three reverse layups and getting in the faces of his former Washington teammates on the defensive end of the court.

“Being in my position. I just come in and bring energy,” Storey said. “You never know when your number’s going to be called. That’s why I’m always enthused at every opportunity I get. That’s what I’ve got to do. That’s my job.”

Storey’s performance did not surprise any of the Bucks’ players or coaches.

“Awvee was great,” Krystkowiak said. “That’s what he brings us in practice all the time. He just got after it. I thought he was one of the catalysts when the game kind of changed. We went for about an 8- or 9-minute stretch in the second quarter where, from my perspective, we didn’t really have to call any plays.

“We were getting turnovers, we were getting stops, we were pushing the ball and we were attacking the basket. Nobody looked to me for any ideas. It was fun. We had an energy-filled group out there with Awvee and Royal Ivey and Charlie Bell, and I thought (Michael) Ruffin did nice job, too.”

Ruffin and Storey spend their practices together on the Bucks’ second unit, pushing the starters to the limit. Ruffin, another former Wizard, enjoyed being alongside Storey during the Bucks’ energizing surge.

“That’s Awvee’s game,” Ruffin said. “When he gets out there, he plays hard. That’s just the way he plays.

“You can change a game doing that, and he did a great job tonight coming out there and just being active, being physical, going hard, making plays and getting the crowd into the game. It was great.”

Ruffin made his 6-foot-8-inch, 248-pound presence felt, too. He logged 17 minutes, hit his only field-goal attempt, three of four free throws, ripped down five rebounds, made two steals and had the Bucks’ lone blocked shot of the night.

While icing his knees afterward, Ruffin wore a smile that told how much he thrives on games like this one.

“Games like this are great games to be a part of,” he said. “They’re what you play for.

“You practice with these guys against the starters day-in and day-out, and to be out there on the court with them and help us win a big game like this, the way we did it, was great. Once we got going, everyone was playing with a lot of energy and a lot of passion.”

The second-quarter energy surge put the Bucks back in the game as they battled back from 11 points down to take a 40-37 halftime lead. But it did not put them over the top.

They mounted an 11-point lead of their own with 1:48 to play in regulation before Washington counter-punched its way into a 90-90 tie to force overtime. The Wizards opened a four-point lead in the extra session, but Mo Williams delivered back-to-back 3-pointers within a 33-second span, and Ivey swished a 22-footer that pulled cobwebs out of the rafters with 6 seconds left to stake Milwaukee to a 103-99 lead.

Washington’s Caron Butler, who put on a 40-point show for a large throng of fans from his native Racine, nailed his fourth 3-pointer of the night with 2.7 seconds left to pull the Wizards within a point. But Williams sank two foul shots with 2.3 left to seal Milwaukee’s 18th victory of the season.

“After we lost the momemtum of that 11-point lead, we talked in the timeout prior to the overtime about this being one of those defining moments where whatever you can do to muster up some energy and some courage,” Krystkowiak said. “Moving into it, we had the first lead in the overtime. We made some plays. We got ourselves down four with less than 2 minutes to go.

“Then Mo came up big, hitting a couple of 3s, and we just never quit. The guys hung in there the whole time. We were shooting ourselves in the foot every way possible (late in the fourth quarter). But the guys hung in there, shared the basketball real well, and I thought we reacted real well.”

Storey enjoyed being at the center of what the Bucks hope proves to be a pivotal win.

“A game like this shows the character of this team and its players,” he said. “We definitely kept our poise and battled back and got stops. That’s where it starts – getting stops. And we executed offensive plays.

“Overall, we’re just excited to be able to pull this off, and I really hope it’s going to be a momentum boost for us.”