Bulls vs. Bucks: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
If the Milwaukee Bucks are going to make the playoffs after last season's absence, they need to beat the mid-tier contenders in the Eastern Conference.
They did that with relative ease during a 108-97 victory over the Chicago Bulls in a Central Division clash Thursday.
The Bucks snapped a three-game losing streak and reached the .500 mark for the campaign by improving to 12-12, while the Bulls lost their second contest in a row and fell to 13-12 on the season.
It was a two-man show for Milwaukee, as Giannis Antetokounmpo stuffed the stat sheet with 30 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and three steals, while Jabari Parker added 28 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Parker and Mirza Teletovic each hit three shots from deep as the Bucks shot 55 percent from three-point range.
ESPN Stats & Info noted the two-man dominance is becoming a pattern this season:
Chicago showed a pulse in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Bucks 31-20, but it was too late after a lackluster showing. The Bulls turned the ball over 16 times and shot an abysmal 5-of-19 from three-point range in the loss.
Jimmy Butler led the way with 21 points but went just 6-of-16 from the floor. Dwyane Wade scored 20 points and dished out six assists as the catalyst behind the strong fourth quarter, and Taj Gibson chipped in with 19 points down low.
The Bucks honored broadcaster Craig Sager—who died Thursday at 65 years old from acute myeloid leukemia—with brightly colored warm-up shirts:
Milwaukee seized control in the early going, building a 21-10 lead after a Parker three-pointer. The Duke product continued to carry the offense and posterized Robin Lopez with a vicious dunk:
Parker received some help when Antetokounmpo scored five straight points to end the quarter after the Bulls climbed to within seven. Milwaukee took a 30-18 lead into the second thanks to 12 points each from Parker and Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks extended their lead to 45-26 by hitting six of their first seven threes, including a deep one by Teletovic.
Mark Schanowski of CSN Chicago described the helpless Bulls defense:
Milwaukee continued to control the pace with a red-hot offense, pushing its lead to 58-31 behind its dynamic duo. Chicago had no answer for Parker and Antetokounmpo, but it did close the half on a 14-6 spurt to trim the deficit to 64-45 thanks to 17 first-half points from Gibson.
"This is as bad as the Bulls have looked all season," Sean Highkin of The Athletic observed.
But the Bucks deserved most of the credit for hitting eight of 10 threes. Antetokounmpo (20 points and seven rebounds) and Parker (17 points) would have trailed by just eight if they were the only Bucks to score in the first half.
The Bucks had an answer for the brief momentum change, going on an 8-0 run early in the third quarter to push their lead to 76-50. Antetokounmpo highlighted the burst with a dunk off a Parker assist, and Nick Friedell of ESPN.com reacted to Milwaukee's dominance:
Antetokounmpo demonstrated his versatility and played the role of point guard, finding Parker for a slam with a beautifully placed pass. Parker then thrilled the Bucks fans with another dunk as Milwaukee started to put things on cruise control in the third:
Teletovic drilled his third three in as many tries, and Milwaukee took an 88-66 lead into the fourth.
Although it was missing in action for the first three quarters, Chicago wouldn't go down without a fight in the final frame. Wade spearheaded a 12-0 run to cut a 95-71 deficit to just 12. The veteran scored 10 of the 12 points in the spurt and assisted on the other basket.
A Doug McDermott three-pointer then made it a single-digit game with just more than four minutes remaining.
"Where has this energy and effort been all night?" K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune asked. "Why only the 4th quarter?"
Just as the crowd was growing restless down the stretch, Antetokounmpo came through again with a dunk off a Matthew Dellavedova assist to extend the lead to 103-92.
Chicago remained within striking distance, but Dellavedova connected on a straightaway three to make it 108-97 with less than two minutes left. Chicago never threatened again from there, and the Bucks clinched the important win against their division rivals.
Postgame Reaction
Wade didn't seem too concerned with Chicago's struggles, per Johnson: "I'm not concerned. I've been through everything. You might want to ask somebody else that."
Chicago head coach Fred Hoiberg commented on the loss, per Sam Smith of the Bulls' official website: "They exposed us; Parker and Giannis are as fast with the ball, especially for their size, two front line guys, we didn't react."
Milwaukee head coach Jason Kidd discussed the win, per the Bucks: "Everybody touched the ball, we had open shots and we made them. Hopefully we can do it again tomorrow."
Parker reflected on playing his hometown team, per Eric Nehm of ESPN Milwaukee: "I definitely play with extra edge. That's the game I circle on my calendar because I'm a kid from the city."
What's Next?
These two teams will play each other again Friday in Chicago. The Bulls will then face the Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets, while the Bucks will play the Cleveland Cavaliers twice, the Wizards twice and the Pistons once in their following five games.
Chicago and Milwaukee each figure to compete for playoff spots in the East, and the upcoming stretch of games against conference foes gives them an opportunity to build momentum in the early portion of the season.
