Michael Redd set a Milwaukee Bucks' franchise record by scoring 57 points on Saturday night versus the Utah Jazz, but Matt Harpring's layup with less than two seconds left enabled Utah to escape with a 113-111 win. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar held the old mark with a 55 point outing on December 10, 1971 against the Boston Celtics.
Redd shot 18-32 from the field--including 6-12 on three pointers--and 15-17 from the free throw line. Redd had 39 of his points in the second half as the Bucks outscored the Jazz 70-51 and almost won despite facing a 62-41 halftime deficit. Utah enjoyed a 44-29 rebounding advantage and, despite Redd's heroics, outshot Milwaukee from the field, .538 to .482 (Redd's teammates shot only 22-51 from the field)--but Redd's performance will be the memory that lingers from this contest.
How significant is it to score 57 points in an NBA game? Consider these facts:
* Abdul-Jabbar is the game's career scoring leader and he never did it.
* Other great scorers who played for the Bucks besides Abdul-Jabbar include Oscar Robertson, Marques Johnson, Sidney Moncrief, Terry Cummings, Ricky Pierce, Glenn Robinson and Ray Allen.
* Most of the players on the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List never did it.
* Redd's total is just three points shy of Larry Bird's and Allen Iverson's career-high, four points off of Shaquille O'Neal's and Karl Malone's career-high and five points less than Tracy McGrady's career-high.
Redd Alert: Michael Redd Scores a Franchise Record 57 Points, but the Jazz Outlast the Bucks, 113-111
