Michael Redd tosses in 26 points for Milwaukee.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Michael Redd bounced back, and so did the Milwaukee Bucks.

Redd scored a career playoff high of 26 points as Milwaukee held on to beat the Detroit Pistons 92-88 Wednesday in Game 2 and even their series. It was the first win by a road team in this year’s playoffs.

The Bucks led 87-72 with 3:13 left before Detroit made a frantic comeback. With a chance to tie or take the lead, Rasheed Wallace took a pass in the corner and the ball slipped out of his hands and went out of bounds with 4.1 seconds left.

Redd then made two free throws to seal the win.

The Bucks’ leading scorer had just 11 points – about half his average – and made seven of Milwaukee’s 25 turnovers in its 108-82 loss Sunday. Redd scored his 12th point on the opening possession of the second half Wednesday.

Chauncey Billups led Detroit with 20 points before fouling out, and Richard Hamilton had 18 points before being ejected with a second technical foul with 4:58 left.
Heat 93, Hornets 63
MIAMI – The Miami Heat had no need for another last-second hero Wednesday night – not the way the New Orleans Hornets missed shots at a near-record rate.

New Orleans shot 24.4 percent to tie for the second-lowest playoff point total since the shot clock was introduced in 1954, and the Heat won 93-63 for a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.

The hapless Hornets finished 20-for-82. They sank seven meaningless baskets in the fourth quarter to avoid breaking the record for playoff shooting futility – 23.3 percent, set by Golden State in 1973.

Utah holds the playoff record for fewest points with 54 in 1998.

Dwyane Wade’s basket with 1.3 seconds left gave Heat a win in Game 1, but they wrapped up Game 2 early, taking a 23-point lead in the third quarter.

The best-of-seven series moves to New Orleans for the next two games, with Game 3 on Saturday. The Heat have won 14 in a row at home, but they’re 13-28 on the road this season.
‘Wolves 95, Nuggets 81
MINNEAPOLIS – Latrell Sprewell took care of the shooting, and Kevin Garnett did the dirty work. Sprewell scored 31 points, Garnett had his third career playoff triple-double and the Timberwolves beat the Denver Nuggets 95-81 Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.

The series shifts to Denver for the next two games, with Game 3 set for Saturday night.

Garnett didn’t have any great highlights, shooting just 9-for-27. But he finished with 20 points, 22 rebounds and 10 assists.

, and now has 42 rebounds in two games.

Voshon Lenard led the Nuggets with 24 points, but only nine came in the final three quarters. Rookie of the Year runner-up Carmelo Anthony continued his quiet postseason with 15 points, nine rebounds and 5-for-11 shooting.

The Timberwolves are halfway to winning their first playoff series, and Garnett, their perennial All-Star and MVP candidate, hasn’t led them in scoring in either game.

He’s been valuable, though, providing support for both of his new teammates in Sam Cassell, who had 40 points in Game 1, and Sprewell, who made seven 3-pointers in Wednesday’s win.

AP-ES-04-22-04 0027EDT