DENVER - A meaningless dunk is coming back to haunt Michael Redd and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Redd learned Monday that he'll miss four-to-six weeks because of an injured left knee.

Redd, the NBA's fifth-leading scorer at 27.7 points per game, was hurt when he went up for a dunk with 14 seconds left in the Bucks' 95-86 loss to Cleveland on Friday night. He strained his patellar tendon, which connects the kneecap to the shin bone.

The severity of the injury took the Bucks by surprise.

"We didn't think it was serious at all," point guard Mo Williams said before the Bucks' game at Denver on Monday night in which he, too, was injured. "We thought it was a couple of games maybe. A game or two, rest it. We didn't think it was this serious."

Williams sprained his left shoulder in the second quarter against the Nuggets and is day to day.

The Bucks had just started to find an offensive rhythm after a stumbling start and Redd was the main reason for the turnaround.

"It's discouraging," coach Terry Stotts said. "But a lot of teams are going through it."

He said, though, that he wasn't sure what kind of identity the Bucks would build during Redd's rehabilitation.

"We've got to figure out what it means. We had gotten into a rhythm, established an identity of the type of team we were, Michael was a big part of that," Stotts said. "So, now we've got to go back to the drawing board and figure out what makes the most sense.

"It's not going to be one person taking over," Stotts said. "It's going to be everybody doing a little bit more."

The Bucks might have to slow things down, but that creates other problems.

"If we take a step backward offensively," Stotts said, "that means we've got to take a step forward defensively."

A two-time winner of the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award this season, Redd is on pace to increase his scoring average for the seventh consecutive year. Redd also averages 3.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals.

"Michael was a big part of the offense," Stotts said. "I don't think it changes anything defensively, but ... if we need to slow it down (that) means we have to be a better defensive team."

Said Williams: "We have mixed emotions. As a committee, we feel like we can do it. But at the same time, we know how valuable Mike is."

Ruben Patterson started in Redd's place Monday night at Denver, where Patterson played briefly last season, and said he was sure Milwaukee could withstand Redd's absence.

"No doubt we're going to miss Mike," Patterson said. "But we've got guys who can put the ball in the basket."

The Bucks also are without forward Charlie Villanueva, Milwaukee's major offseason addition, who missed his third straight game with an injured right shoulder. He got a cortisone injection Monday and will be re-evaluated in another week. Villanueva is averaging 12.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists.

The Bucks have an open roster spot, and general manager Larry Harris said he would huddle with Stotts to consider adding another player to take Redd's spot when the Bucks return to Milwaukee on Tuesday.