Bucks continue playing well without Jackson

MILWAUKEE On a night the Milwaukee Bucks beat Detroit -- 103-82 with a well-balanced offensive effort -- the most glaring item on the postgame box score wasn't their 103 total points (marking the fourth consecutive game surpassing the 100-point mark) or their incredible disadvantage on the offensive glass (17-7). No, what stood out most was the "DNP - Coach's Decision" listed next to Stephen Jackson's name. After missing the team's previous game, a 100-89 over the Lakers Saturday in Milwaukee, Jackson didn't play Monday night, a decision Scott Skiles said he made because of the way the team had been performed in that game. "It was my decision," Skiles said. "I liked the way we've played the past couple games. He'll have an opportunity to work himself back in there." After the game, Jackson didn't disagree with the coach's assessment. "For the most part, Scott is right," Jackson said. "We are playing well without me in the lineup but it's all good. It's all about winning." Milwaukee has now won five of its last seven games and won consecutive games for the fourth time this season. The team is 3-0 without Jackson in the lineup. Jackson said that Monday was the first time in his career that he didn't participate in a game when he's been healthy and that he wasn't exactly surprised by the decision to keep him on the bench. Jackson's minutes have fluctuated between 26 and 34 minutes in the four games since he was held out of a Jan. 20 contest against New York for missing a team bus. That game came after behind held out of the second half of a 105-95 loss to Denver, after he went 0-for-6 from the field in the first half. Jackson was vocal about his displeasure following that game but said Monday that he wasn't surprised by the fact he didn't play against the Pistons. "That's fine with me," Jackson said. "Everybody knows the situation. One thing I'm not going to do is not be professional. I'm going to cheer the team on and do what I have to do. My situation is going to get better soon. Until then, I'm going to support these guys and continue to collect my check." Acquired in a three-team draft day trade to provide some much-needed scoring to an often punchless offense a year ago, Jackson has struggled at times with consistency. In 13 games this season, Jackson is averaging 12.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists in just under 32 minutes per game. His best effort came on Jan. 10, when he hit 12-of-17 from the field and 3-of-4 three-pointers in Milwaukee's 106-103 victory over the Spurs. He scored 25 the next time out against Detroit, but since then has cracked double digits just three times and is averaging just 8.3 points in his last seven games. Jackson said the team is well-aware of his feelings, but didn't get into specifics on what those feelings were, who in the organization was aware of them and what that might mean for his future in Milwaukee. "That means they know how I feel, I don't have to elaborate on that," Jackson said. "That's self-explanatory. We did play a good game tonight. Everybody scored that played. We're playing well. A good win against L.A., a good win tonight against a team we should have beat and we got a tough one Wednesday. That's all we are focused on, keep winning." He's not sure if he'll see action Wednesday when the Bucks host Miami but he will be "prepared for anything" and he won't be a distraction if he's not in the lineup. "I came in (today) and did my work, I'm going to come in tomorrow, work at practice and continue to work on my game," Jackson said. "But at the end of the day, I have to be able to perform wherever I'm at." Follow Andrew Wagner on Twitter @ByAndrewWagner.