THE Milwaukee Bucks fought the Chicago Bulls for the fourth and final time this season on Friday. Milwaukee was hoping for a 3-1 series victory after tonight’s game. The last two meetings ended in overtime and so this could prove to be another see-saw battle between the protagonists.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee’s charge from the start with 11 points. His activity also caused problems for Chicago’s big men with plenty of playing time remaining. Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond were whistled for two fouls each before the end of the first 12 minutes of the game.
Milwaukee threatened to run away when they went on a 17-4 run midway through the first quarter, but Chicago held on. DeMar DeRozan went 0 for 5, but he had five assists, three of which helped the Bulls stay within striking distance. The first half ended with the Bucks leading 33-24.
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Damian Lillard backed Antetokounmpo with 12 points to end the first half. Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis helped Milwaukee’s cause by combining for 17 points and eight rebounds. The four towed the Bucks to a 58-44 halftime lead.
Nikola Vucevic led the Chicago Bulls with 15 points. DeMar DeRozan needs to step up his scoring as he was held to two points on 0-of-6 shooting. Andre Drummond, Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White combined for 21 points to help Vucevic.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s dominance continued in the second half. The double MVP already had 38 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in three quarters. He coached the Milwaukee Bucks to an 82-72 lead with one quarter left.
Chicago, meanwhile, relied on balanced scoring with Vucevic still leading with 17 points. DeMar DeRozan found rhythm and had 12 points in the third quarter. The Bulls will need to step up their efforts on both ends to try and rally for victory.
