RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

MILWAUKEE (AP) _ Ray Allen scored 21 points and Tim Thomas, Glenn Robinson and Sam Cassell had 20 apiece as Milwaukee held off the undermanned New Jersey Nets 109-101 Saturday night.

Milwaukee, which has won five of its last seven after struggling through the season's second half, pulled within 1 1/2 games of Orlando for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot. The Bucks play host to the Magic on Monday night in the first of two meetings between the teams in the season's final six games.

Despite leading throughout the final three quarters, the Bucks (37-39) never shook the injury-depleted Nets, who were eliminated from playoff contention one night earlier. Milwaukee also avoided being swept in the season series with the Nets, who have lost six straight and nine of their last 11.

Milwaukee began the second half with a 9-0 run that included seven straight points from Robinson and built the Bucks' lead to 70-50. Cassell added 11 assists for the Bucks, who went up by 23 points before late baskets from Elliot Perry and Gheorghe Muresan whittled the lead down to eight points in the closing seconds.

The Bucks hope the win erased any lingering scars from their 90-88 loss at Chicago on Thursday, which coach George Karl called the team's most difficult and embarrassing defeat of the season. The win gave the Bucks 37 victories, their most in nine years.

Johnny Newman had 21 points to lead five Nets in double figures. Keith Van Horn had 19 points and Perry added 18, while Kendall Gill had 13 points and six assists.

Stephon Marbury (tendinitis), Kerry Kittles (sore knee) and Evan Eschmeyer (sprained ankle) sat on the Nets' bench in street clothes. Counting center Jayson Williams, who hasn't played this season, New Jersey had about $200 million in talent out of the lineup Saturday night.

The Nets even lost Jim McIlvaine, who didn't return after halftime because of a bulging disk in his back. By game's end, New Jersey (31-46) had nine healthy players in uniform, including chronically sore-kneed Muresan and journeyman Mark Hendrickson, who was signed a day earlier.

Notes: An abnormally testy Karl paced the sideline throughout the game. With five minutes left in the third quarter and the Bucks up by 21, Karl became enraged when the official timekeeper accidentally reset the shot clock after an airball by Van Horn. He raced nearly to midcourt and yelled curses at the timekeeper as the officials corrected the mistake. ... The Nets couldn't get into the Milwaukee airport until late Saturday morning because of a fierce April snowstorm in southeastern Wisconsin. ... The Bucks didn't make their first turnover of the game until three minutes remained in the first half. The Nets then got three offensive rebounds on the ensuing possession, prompting Karl to yell at Cassell for a timeout. Cassell didn't hear him and blew past Perry for a layup.