Although the Milwaukee Bucks expect point guard Sam Cassell to return to the lineup this week after sitting out with a strained abdomen, the team was relieved to discover that backup Rafer Alston could do the job when called upon in difficult circumstances.

Asked to start Saturday night against Utah and future Hall of Fame point guard John Stockton, Alston responded with a career-best performance (14 points and 10 assists) in a 104-93 victory against the Jazz.

Bucks coach George Karl, who lost veteran backup point guard Lindsey Hunter during the off-season in a financially motivated trade, was pleased with the results of the relatively unproven Alston's first major test.

"Our success is predicated on how well we pass the ball," Karl said. "Some nights we do, some nights we don't. In the second half we did, and Rafer was a big part of that. His defense on Stockton got stronger as the night went on and he made some big plays for us. We need him to start playing even more assertive."