Chicago Bulls

MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Bucks finally built an insurmountable lead and damaged a division rival's playoff hopes in the process.

Bobby Simmons scored 26 points, going 9-of-13 from the field, and Michael Redd added 23 to lead the Bucks over the Chicago Bulls 104-88 Wednesday night.

Milwaukee (32-32) got back to .500 for the first time since March 1 and split the season series with Chicago (29-36), which now trails the Bucks by 3 1/2 games and the Philadelphia 76ers by three for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

"That was a hell of a win against a team that needed to win it," Bucks coach Terry Stotts said. "I don't think it was any sweeter, this was an important game and we came out ready, had confidence, made shots. It was a fun game."

The Bucks are eyeing the fifth spot, trailing Indiana by one game and Washington by 1 1/2.

"There's a sense of urgency as far as the playoff run," Simmons said. "If we don't play together, we won't win."

Milwaukee, which had lost five of its last six at home, made sure Chicago was out of it early - leading by as many as 24 in the first quarter.

"That's been the one concern for our team - start out better, start out fast," Redd said.

T.J. Ford had 12 points and 10 assists, while Joe Smith had 15 points and Charlie Bell 13 points for Milwaukee.

Andres Nocioni scored a career-high 25 points for Chicago and Luol Deng had 15 before leaving the game in the fourth after Nocioni poked him in the eye. Kirk Hinrich added 19 points.

"It's unexplainable," Hinrich said. "Go up and down a line of this team and everybody would say the same thing. For whatever reason as a group, we weren't ready."

Chicago went on a 13-0 run to end the third quarter after the Bucks took their biggest lead at 26, but still trailed 79-66 going into the fourth.

Milwaukee, which had blown a 17-point second-half lead to lowly Atlanta two nights earlier before coming from behind to win, only led 91-84 after the Bulls made four consecutive shots, including a 3-pointer by Jannero Pargo with 3:19 left.