MILWAUKEE — After falling 2.5 games out of the final
playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks will now be without
both of their starting forwards — Ersan Ilyasova (back spasms) and Carlos
Delfino (groin) — for Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks.
Bucks coach Scott Skiles said that both players are considered day to day.
"I don't think (head athletic trainer) Marc (Boff) felt like either one
was overly serious to miss multiple days, but we'll see," Skiles said.
"You never know."
Delfino was hurt in the second quarter of Milwaukee's Monday night loss in New
York. While attempting to go for a steal, Delfino "tweaked his groin"
and did not return.
The exact timing of when Ilyasova's injury occurred is not known.
Filling in for the injured starters will be newly acquired big man Ekpe Udoh,
who was part of the trade that brought Monta Ellis to Milwaukee, and Luc
Richard Mbah a Moute.
"Both guys are good individual defenders and good team defenders,"
Skiles said of Udoh and Mbah a Moute. "We'll have two big guys up front.
We've struggled rebounding the ball. We're hoping to get a little more size in
the lineup. Hopefully we can rebound it better."
Having Mbah a Moute and Udoh in the starting lineup will be an unquestioned
defensive upgrade for the Bucks, but neither player can deliver offensively like
Ilyasova and Delfino.
Milwaukee is currently the ninth seed in the East with a 22-27 record entering
play Tuesday.
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