CHARLOTTE, N.C. - After twice blowing leads in losses to the Charlotte Hornets earlier this season, Brandon Knight did his part to make sure it didnt happen again.Knight scored 18 points, including a layup to force overtime, and the Milwaukee Bucks pulled away in the extra period to beat the Hornets 104-94 on Monday.Jared Dudley scored 17 points, Giannis Antetokounm had 16, Zaza Pachulia had 15, O.J. Mayo had 13 and John Henson added 11 for the Bucks (16-16), who snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Hornets dating back to the 2011-2012 season.Included in that streak were two close games this season — a 108-106 overtime loss Oct. 29, and a 108-101 loss on Dec. 23 — where Milwaukee held the lead, only to allow the Hornets (10-22) to come back.We just have to do better once we get up a lead like that, Knight said. Us players have to do a better job on the court, just being better in those situations. Not just playing to stay up 20, but playing to continue to win and make the right plays.Mondays game nearly became a repeat — behind Kemba Walkers 28 points, Gerald Hendersons 19, Michael Kidd-Gilchrists 10 —Charlotte fought back from a 21-point deficit in the first half.Walkers layup with 54.5 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter gave the Hornets an 83-81 lead, but Knight followed up his own blocked shot for a layup with 16 seconds left to tie the score and force overtime.We had a big lead offensively, but defensively we started to slip a little bit, Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. We got some great looks that just did not play out, but our guys just kept their composure.Milwaukee then pulled ahead for good on Hensons three-point play with 3:51 left in overtime, and the Bucks would lead by as many as 13 points in the extra period.Charlotte looked to be on its way to an easy victory over the Bucks early in the game, going up 14-6 on Hendersons 3-pointer with 7:29 remaining in the first quarter.But the Hornets went cold, missing 16 straight shots. That allowed Milwaukee to close out the quarter with a 19-4 run, and take a 25-18 lead.Charlotte hit another cold spell, going 1 of 9 over the first six minutes of the second quarter, which allowed the Bucks to take their first double-digit lead. Milwaukee took its biggest lead, 43-22, on Knights steal-and-layup with 3:19 remaining.We were missing shots, got our heads down and got a little frustrated out there, Walker said. We need to be more consistent in our play. One game we play well, the next we dont. That cant happen. We cant get away from the things we do well.___TIP-INSBucks: Won at Charlottes Time Warner Cable Arena for the first time since March 23, 2012, losing four straight games before Mondays victory. . It was also the second time this season that Milwaukee won back-to-back road games, and the first since road wins over the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons on Nov. 26-28.Hornets: Suffered their third straight loss, and second straight at home. . Overcame their poor first-half shooting to finish at 36.7 per cent (33 of 90) from the field. But they were only 7 of 25 on 3-pointers. . They also had a season-high 13 steals.STAT LINEThe Hornets shot just 20 per cent (5 of 25) from the field in the first quarter, and 26.2 per cent (11 of 42) for the half, while Milwaukee overcame a slow start to shoot 46.3 per cent (19 of 41) and take a 49-32 halftime lead.SHORT-HANDEDBoth teams dressed just 11 players each for Mondays game. The Hornets sat guards Lance Stephenson (pelvic sprain) and Jannero Pargo (sore back), and had assigned forwards Jeffery Taylor and Noah Vonleh to the NBAs D-League on Sunday. The Bucks were down four players, all for injuries - forwards Jabari Parker (knee), Ersan Ilyasova (concussion) and Damien Inglis (knee), and centre Larry Sanders (illness).UP NEXTMilwaukee plays at Cleveland on Wednesday.Charlotte travels to Houston on Wednesday. Jonas Valanciunas Jersey . Weise will have his hearing with the NHL head office over the phone, while the league has requested an in-person hearing with Kassian. Oilers centre Sam Gagner suffered a broken jaw after getting hit with a high stick from Kassian in Edmontons 5-2 win. Yuta Watanabe Jersey . -- Justin Verlander took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning and won his fourth straight decision, leading Detroit over the Kansas City Royals 9-4 Sunday and extending the Tigers winning streak to a season-high five games. https://www.cheapgrizzlies.com/634p-alle...-grizzlies.html. It is unclear how long Kallstrom, who was brought in to alleviate the teams midfield problems, will be sidelined. Arsenals communications director, Mark Gonnella, says the club decided to proceed with Kallstroms signing despite the injury. Rudy Gay Jersey . Especially after he got ejected. "How many innings was that?" he wondered. Michael Dickerson Jersey . LOUIS -- Russell Martin wanted a better fate for his starting pitcher and helped deliver a happier ending.NASHVILLE -- Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne cant wait to test himself in a game. The Predators, who announced Wednesday that they are sending Rinne to their AHL affiliate in Milwaukee, are cautiously waiting to see if the two-time Vezina Trophy finalist can help them chase down a playoff berth. Both Rinne and the team will have a better idea of where he is after the conditioning assignment for games Friday and likely Sunday in this latest step in his recovery from an E. coli infection in his surgically repaired left hip. Rinne has been limited to only nine games this season. Coach Barry Trotz said the Predators will be monitoring Rinne after each practice and game. "Hes at a point where weve got to find out where he is game-wise and also body and mind," Trotz said of Rinne. The Predators start a five-game home stand Thursday night hosting Tampa Bay just four points back of the Western Conferences eighth and final playoff spot with 23 games remaining. They missed the playoffs last year for only the second time in nine seasons. How quickly Rinne rejoins them depends on how he fares in Milwaukee. Rinne practiced with the Predators on Wednesday before travelling to Milwaukee, and he called this a big day with doctors giving him the green light for the latest step in his long recovery. He has been sidelined since Oct. 24 for an infection in the hip surgically repaired May 9, and Rinne said hes focusing on getting his game back and help the Predators. "So far I feel really comfortable," Rinne said. "Im happy how things have gone in practice and how things have gone so far. I think Im actually a little bit surprised its been going so well. But like I said, its still a process but for sure I feel like Im really close to game shape andd now its just a final couple of games before I jump on the ice with the Nashville team.dddddddddddd" Rinne, 31, is sixth in the NHL with 152 wins since the 2008-09 season and has 30 shutouts since 2008-09, which leads all goalies during that time. He hasnt played since Oct. 22 in a 2-0 loss at Minnesota. He is 4-4-1 with a 2.31 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. The Predators have played four other goalies this season trying to make up for Rinnes absence. Currently, Carter Hutton is their starter, and he is 13-9-4 with a .904 save percentage and 2.87 goals-against average. Trotz said what theyve been missing without Rinne is a game-changer who can mean the difference in as many as 20 points in the standings each season. "Hes an elite goaltender and steals games maybe when you dont deserve it," Trotz said. "He can steal points." Trotz said theyre not sure what theyll see from Rinne. "Its not about Pekka coming back and being a saviour," Trotz said. "I think its Pekka coming back and adding to our mix. And if he can get his game to the level close to what hes capable of, were a better hockey team plain and simple. To me, its about Pekka for hopefully the next five or six years. Hes a difference maker." Captain Shea Weber, who practiced with the Predators on Wednesday after helping Canada win the Olympic gold medal Sunday in Sochi, said the Predators are definitely excited about the prospect of Rinne returning to the lineup as they try to chase down a playoff spot. "Weve been through a lot this year and to see what position we put ourselves in here four points out coming in its not going to be easy by any means," Weber said. "If anyone can do it, we can." ' ' '
