Milwaukee Bucks have no answers for Derrick Rose in Game 1 loss
By Phil Watson
The Milwaukee Bucks opened the playoffs on a torrid pace, scoring 29 points on 13-of-22 shooting in the first quarter of Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center.
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The problem was that the Bulls were just as hot, taking the lead at the buzzer on Aaron Brooks’ wild 3-pointer and hitting 11-of-19 themselves to take a 30-29 lead.
From there, it was mostly Chicago the rest of the way as the starting backcourt of Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose combined for 48 points and 13 assists and shot 17-for-30 in the Bulls’ 103-91 victory.
Game 2 is Monday at 6 p.m., also at the United Center.
The Bucks ran cold from there, however, hitting just 22-of-67 (32.8 percent) the rest of the way as the Bulls steadily pulled away, leading by as much as 16 in the fourth quarter.
And for Rose, playing in his first playoff game since tearing his ACL in Game 1 of the first round in 2012 against the Philadelphia 76ers, it was like a welcome-home party.
Rose, the MVP of the NBA in 2010-11, hit all three of his 3-pointers during a four-possession stretch in the third period as Chicago pushed its lead to double figures for the first time.
He finished with 23 points—11 in the third period—to go with seven assists. Butler, meanwhile, scored 17 of his 25 points in the first half and also handed out six assists.
Thirty of Chicago’s 38 baskets were assisted as the Bulls’ ball movement proved to be the biggest difference in the game. Milwaukee’s offense over the final three quarters consisted of far too much dribbling and poor shot selection, settling for mid-range jumpers or attempting to drive the lane against multiple defenders.
Jason Kidd told ESPN.com’s Bradford Doolittle that it was the defensive breakdowns in the backcourt that set the tone.
“We rely on our defense,” Kidd said. “Scoring the ball in the first quarter, we thought we were going to outscore Chicago and not play defense.
Apr 18, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (right) drives against Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) during the first quarter in game one of the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
“That first quarter was fool’s gold. We’re not an offensive team. That set the tone in a bad way for us in the first half, giving up 60 points.”
The Bucks, who had the second-ranked defense in the NBA during the regular season, was lit up by Rose and Butler all night long. And when they were out, Brooks finished with 13 points in 19 minutes.
Chicago also had a sizable advantage on the boards, 52-41. Pau Gasol was only 5-for-17 from the floor, but had 10 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots. Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson grabbed 11 rebounds apiece and Tony Snell came up with a pair of blocks.
Noah also had three steals.
Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 18 points and had four steals. Ersan Ilyasova scored 15 points, John Henson added 12 in 26 minutes, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s first playoff appearance was a disappointment with 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting and Jerryd Bayless scored 11 points to go with five assists in 23 minutes.
Zaza Pachulia grabbed 10 rebounds while scoring six points.
Michael Carter-Williams, also making his postseason debut, was guilty of forcing things offensively at times and had nine points and just three assists on 4-of-13 shooting.
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“It’s the first playoff game for a lot of people on this team,” Bayless told The Associated Press. “There were a lot of nerves and whatnot, but we got rid of it [Saturday] and have a great opportunity on Monday.”
The Bucks have lost seven straight playoff games, dating back to a 91-87 win over the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena in Game 5 of the first round in 2010. They dropped the final two games of that series and were swept by the Miami Heat in the first round in 2013.
This is the fourth playoff meeting between Milwaukee and the Bulls and the first since Chicago beat the Bucks 3-1 in the first round in 1990.
Milwaukee won the other two series between the teams, a 4-0 sweep in the Western Conference Finals in 1974 and a 3-1 win in the first round in 1985, Michael Jordan’s rookie season.
The Bucks have not won a playoff series since beating the old Charlotte Hornets in a seven-game Eastern Conference semifinal series in 2001 and have lost their last six series in a row.