Milwaukee Bucks Fall to Bulls but Take Season Series

Wisconsin’s weather the past few days has been dark, gloomy, and filled with rain. Unfortunately for the Milwaukee Bucks, the Chicago Bulls made it rain inside of the Bradley Center yesterday afternoon as well.

They showed the energy and urgency of a team fighting for their playoff lives, running away with the game in the 3rd quarter by shooting 66.7% from the field. The Milwaukee Bucks lacked energy on the defensive end and the Bulls made them pay for every open look.

Nikola Mirotic led the way for Chicago, scoring 28 points on only 14 shot attempts. He finished 5 of 8 from three-point land, with three of those makes coming in the decisive third quarter. Robin Lopez consistently knocked down mid-range jumpers and even Rajon Rondo got in on the action by knocking down a corner three.

Jimmy Butler was by far the best player on the court for either team. He played the role of facilitator and dished out 14 assists to go along with his quiet and efficient 20 points.

The Bucks played well offensively early in the game, but the wheels fell off on both sides of the ball in the second half.

They entered the fourth quarter down by 12 points, but had no real shot at rallying with their lifeless 15 point and 21% effort from the field.

Milwaukee entered the game as the hottest team in the entire NBA, winning 11 of their last 13 games, including an impressive 4-2 West Coast road trip. But for the first time all month they looked like a team needing a break, and it was obvious for all to see when shot after shot fell short late in the game.

It was a disappointing loss for the Bucks, who had the opportunity to sweep the season series against the rival Bulls for the first since 2000-01.

However, Bucks fans should focus on the positives of their 3-1 season series win.

More from Dairyland Express

It was only two seasons ago that the Bucks and Bulls faced off in the first round of the playoffs. Nobody thought the sixth seeded Bucks had a chance in that series, and rightfully so. The Bulls finished with the third best record in the East, and they had a better chance at upsetting the Cavs than any other team in the conference.

The Milwaukee Bucks found themselves down 3-0 in the series, but they were able to squeak out an exciting Game 4 win (we still love you Jared Dudley) against a bored Bulls squad.

The shocking performance of that series came during Game 5, when Michael Carter-Williams played out of his mind and carried the Bucks to a win in Chicago.

Just when Fear the Deer fever came alive, the veteran Bulls imposed their will on Milwaukee for all of Game 6, embarrassing them by 54 points at the Bradley Center.

This brought all sorts of jokes from Bulls fans, the most common being that the Bucks were their “younger brother.”

Boy how things have changed.

The Bucks won the previous three games this season by a combined 57 points, with two of those beat downs coming at the United Center.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has morphed into a legitimate NBA superstar, despite not being able to consistently knock down jumpers.

There used to be a time when Jimmy Butler could manhandle Giannis, but that’s no longer the case. Giannis struggled a bit yesterday, but in the previous three contests he averaged 29 points, 10 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 3 blocks, and 2.6 steals. These are absolutely absurd numbers from a 6’11” 22-year-old.

Even after yesterday’s victory, the Bulls are still outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, looking in at the 6th place Bucks.

The best part of all this is that one of the Bucks’ key contributors, Tony Snell, arrived from Chicago this offseason via trade.

Snell played sparingly with the Bulls the first three seasons of his career, but he has flourished in for the Milwaukee Bucks

Snell has likely earned himself a hefty pay increase this summer, upping his three-point shooting percentage to a career high 40.4% while providing Milwaukee sorely needed perimeter defense.

All the Milwaukee Bucks had to give Chicago in exchange for Snell was the expendable Carter-Williams, who has fallen out of the Bulls rotation numerous times this year.

It’s been dark and gloomy outside the past few days, but don’t be fooled, the Bucks have a much brighter future than the little brother Chicago Bulls.

Bucks in 6.

Home/Milwaukee Bucks