About 75 minutes before tip-off Wednesday night at the Bradley Center, Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson was in his usual pre-game routine. No, he wasn't looking at tape or drawing up last-second plays. Jackson was doing the New York Times crossword puzzle, seemingly as relaxed as if he were in the kitchen of his off-season Montana home.

If you were expecting stress because he knew the Lakers would suit up only nine players in the wake of Kobe Bryant's suspension and myriad injuries, you don't know much about Jackson. He's been an NBA player or coach since 1967. He's won over 900 games and nine NBA titles as a coach of the Bulls and Lakers. He wears a confident smirk no matter what the circumstances. No wonder people call him "The Zen Master."

Jackson finally had to leave his crossword puzzle to meet the media before the game.

After a few seconds of small talk about bratwurst, Jackson cut to the chase. "OK, let's do our business here," he said to the Lakers television crew and about 10 other reporters.

Jackson was asked for his reaction to Kobe Bryant being suspended for the game because he hit Minnesota's Marco Jaric in the face with a follow-through of a shot on Tuesday night. "Darn it. We saw it happen and said that's awful similar to what happened in L.A. versus San Antonio right off the bat. I think I'm going to have to put about 50 clips of Kobe shooting his shot and his arms going out like that so that the judge of this deed of Kobe's sees that he does this a lot. It's not an unnatural basketball motion for him," said Jackson.

His dig about the "unnatural basketball motion" was directed at Stu Jackson, the former Wisconsin coach who is now the NBA executive who handles disciplinary measures for the league. "But in this league, everybody's got a pretty face and we try to keep it that way," cracked the Lakers coach.

Phil Jackson says he doesn't believe the league is out to get Bryant, even though it's the second time he's been suspended for this type of play this season. "They assured us they did not do that (single Bryant out). They certainly don't want a player of his caliber not to be in a game, particularly when we only come to Milwaukee once a year," said Jackson. "One thing's for sure. At least this league is consistent. If they're gonna make a call, even if they're wrong, they'll still be consistent."

Always relishing a chance to tweak authority, Jackson was asked about the league's top brass not personally talking to Bryant about the suspension. "They never talk individually to people when they fine (or suspend) them," he said. "They send their henchmen out to do their dirty work."

Predictably, the Bucks handled the Lakers, 110-90. Andrew Bogut made 10 of 12 shots and scored 22 points. Jackson had said before the game that he was "very pleased with (Bogut's) progress as a player. It doesn't look like he's going to be a big scorer in this game, but he's a very good team player, does a lot of great things for this team by passing and moving and recognition of situations on the floor. He's a young player, Usually, it takes three to four years for these players to develop and he's certainly coming along."

With his history of back, knee and hip problems, Jackson doesn't so much walk off the court as he shuffles. Even after a 20-point loss, the smirk was intact.