Coming into Sunday afternoons game against the Chicago Bulls the Milwaukee Bucks where two games over .500 on the season and four games over .500 at home. Of course with the way the Bulls season has went they should be favorite against any team over .500. Now the Bulls did get down 12 points early in the game to the Bucks, but they came all the way back to pick up a 15 point victory 109-94.
There where nine lead changes as well as nine ties in the 1st quarter. Milwaukee had the biggest lead of the quarter at four points. The biggest scoring run either team go on was when the Buck scored 5 of the first seven points in the game. As I’m sure you’ve guessed it was a very even 1st quarter that ended with Milwaukee ahead 31-29.
Milwaukee started the 2nd quarter on a 12 to 2 run that saw them take a 12 point lead 43-31 with 9:00 minutes left in the quarter. The Bulls struggled to get the Bucks lead under 10 points. With 4:35 left in the quarter Milwaukee still had a 10 point lead at 49-39. The Bulls finished the quarter on a 17 to 6 run to go into halftime with a one point lead 56-55.
Milwaukee went right back to the lead at the start of the 3rd quarter and while they where never able to extend that lead to more than three points they held it until Rajon Rondo put the Bulls back ahead 62-61 with 9:35 left in the quarter. Milwaukee was able to tie the game one more time, but never got the lead back. The Bulls slowly built their lead and with 2:35 left in the quarter they took their first double digit lead of the game at 87-76. Chicago added one more point to that lead and they headed into the 4th quarter ahead 91-79.
Both teams had offensive struggles in the 4th quarter as they combined to score 33 points in the quarter. The Bucks never reduced the Bulls lead to under 11 points and when Joffrey Lauvergne put back an offensive rebound the Bulls had a 20 point lead 104-84 with 6:58 left in the game. Milwaukee did manage to outscore the Bulls 10 to 5 from that point on, but all that did was make it a 15 point victory for the Bulls 109-94.
All five of the Bulls starters scored in double figures led by Nikola Mirotic who was the games high scorer with 28 points. Jimmy Butler had a double-double with 20 points and a game high 14 assists. Rajon Rondo and Robin Lopez each scored 18 points and Rondo grabbed a game high 9 rebounds. Paul Zipser was the other Bulls starter in double figures with 10 points.
Milwaukee was led by Giannis Antetokounmpo with 20 points; he also grabbed a team high 8 rebounds. Greg Monroe came off the Bucks bench to score 16 points while Khris Middleton and Malcom Brogdon each had 14 points. Antetokounmpo, Brogdon and Matthew Dellavedova all tied for the team lead in assists with 4 each.
The Bulls improve to 35-39 with the win and keep their slim playoff hopes alive. The Bulls will now get three days off before they host the Eastern Conference leading 47-25 Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night. Milwaukee drops to 37-36 with the loss and will get a day off before they travel to Charlotte to face the 33-40 Hornets on Tuesday night.
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