Bucks 123, Bulls 102
After a cool first half, Milwaukee lights it up with threes to win on the road.
CHICAGO – You can’t say the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t give the Chicago Bulls a chance.
The Bucks spent the first half struggling their way to 1 of 14 shooting from three-point range. Bulls rookie Coby White scored 13 of his 18 points in the second quarter to help the Bulls take a brief lead. But despite their issues and the Bulls’ run, the Bucks still went into halftime with a three-point lead Monday night.
At that point, it was clear the game was over. The Bucks weren’t going to play any worse than they did in the first half.
And so it was. The rest of the night belonged to the Bucks, who put on a three-point exhibition and a dunk contest in the third quarter to build an insurmountable lead before gliding to a 123-102 victory at the United Center.
The game changed for good over a 12-2 Bucks run spanning a three-minute stretch early in the third quarter. Eric Bledsoe, playing for the first time after missing eight games due to an avulsion fracture to his right fibula, got things going with a layup.
Khris Middleton then drew a foul that irked Bulls guard Tomas Satoransky enough for Satoransky to earn a technical foul for arguing the call. Middleton made all three free throws.
After a layup by Zach LaVine, who led the Bulls with 19 points, the Bucks (30-5) busted out a bunch of highlights, each building on the one before. Bledsoe hit a cutting Donte DiVincenzo for a hard, right-handed jam. Brook Lopez then blocked LaVine and Bledsoe got going the other way, stopping and popping a three-pointer.
Then it was Giannis Antetokounmpo’s turn and the reigning MVP
brought down the house. Playing for the first time after missing two games due to back soreness, Antetokounmpo caught a pocket pass from Middleton near the free-throw line and without dribbling went directly toward the rim where he rose up and detonated over LaVine, who had smartly glided out of
Antetokounmpo’s path of destruction.
Just like that, the Bucks owned a 16point lead, one that they never let submerge under double digits. It always helped when you can put up 40 points in a quarter on 71.4% shooting like the Bucks did in the third, when they hit 5 of 8 three-pointers.
Middleton finished with a gamehigh 25 points while Antetokounmpo chalked up 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Bledsoe, who was on a minutes restriction, scored 15 points and had three assists and three rebounds in 16 minutes.
Ersan Ilyasova contributed a third straight double-double double with 14 points and 11 rebounds off the bench while Robin Lopez put up 11 points against his former team.
Wesley Matthews sat out the victory due to a right thigh contusion he suffered against the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 20.
“He’s played through it and I think it’s just at a stage where I think not playing, not being available is the right move,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “Hopefully it’s just a short-term thing.”