MILWAUKEE – Michael Redd didn’t need to be the leading scorer for the Milwaukee Bucks to win.

Desmond Mason scored 15 points, ZaZa Pachulia tied his career high with 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and the Bucks defeated the Nets 100-81 last night.

Redd, who missed the last three games before the All-Star break because of a sprained index finger, scored 11 points as Milwaukee won for fifth time in seven games. Redd leads the team in scoring at 22.6 per game.

He tied his season-high with 39 points on Tuesday night in the Bucks’ 112-102 win at Charlotte. Against the Nets, it was his teammates who took care of business, especially in the third quarter when Milwaukee used a 22-4 run to take command of the game.

Milwaukee had six players score in double figures.

Despite being mentioned in trade talks, the Bucks insist that Redd will be with them long after today’s deadline.

“I’m not worried at all, not worried at all,” Redd said. “When I say that, I meant it. I believe that I’ll be here.”

Bucks coach Terry Porter was worried that the Nets might be ready to grab their first regular-season victory over the Bucks in almost five seasons.

“Jason Kidd, their leader, really challenged them after last night,” Porter said about critical comments made by Kidd after the team lost 100-82 to Toronto. “He blasted them pretty good. We knew they were going to come out strong.”

The Nets did as they led by 12 early and held a 48-47 margin at halftime. The second half was totally different, as they shot 4-for-23 in the third quarter, lost momentum and never recovered.

“We came to play in the first half,” Kidd said. “We were up one at halftime on the road. We lost the third quarter.”

The Nets haven’t beaten the Bucks at the Bradley Center in the regular season since a 108-80 victory in 2000.

The Nets shot just 37.1% from the floor (33-for-89). Against Toronto on Tuesday night, they were 37.3%.

Vince Carter had 26 points and Kidd added 11 points and seven assists for the Nets, who have lost five of seven.

Carter had 16 points on 8-of-18 shooting in the first half, including 10 of the Nets’ first 20 points.

“Right now, as a team, we’re struggling on offense,” Carter said.

Joe Smith, scoreless in the first half, and Mason finally got the Bucks going in the third quarter.

Mason, after missing several one-handed dunks earlier in the game, finished the quarter with two baseline alley-oop jams off feeds from Mike James as Milwaukee took a 77-62 lead into the final quarter. The lead never got below 13 points the rest of the way as the Milwaukee took the season-series (2-1).