Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls: Postgame Grades and Analysis
Behind a stellar defensive effort, the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on Monday, 94-88.
The Bulls' lead in the best-of-seven series is now 3-2.
Milwaukee held Chicago to 34.4 percent shooting thanks in large part to the starting backcourt of Khris Middleton and Michael Carter-Williams. They were able to make every possession difficult for Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler, who combined to shoot a dreadful 10-of-41 from the field.
Carter-Williams also led the way on the offensive end, scoring 22 points and dishing out nine assists.
Chicago, meanwhile, was led by Pau Gasol. He scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Milwaukee Bucks
Khris Middleton: A
Middleton carried the Bucks throughout the first half. He was able to score at will on Mike Dunleavy, which forced the Bulls to put Butler on him. His offense just kept rolling after that. He finished the game with 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting.
And as good as Middleton was offensively, he might have been even better on the other end. Often matched up against Butler, Middleton forced him to take tough shots on the perimeter and expertly forced him into help on drives.
His four steals helped the Bucks get out in transition as well.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: B-
Giannis Antetokounmpo should thank Middleton for lighting up Dunleavy to the point that it necessitated a switch. Antetokounmpo had a tough time finding rhythm against Butler, but he used his athleticism and length to get around just about anyone else Chicago threw at him. He finished the game with 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting.
Defensively, the Greek Freak showed off his ridiculous length in a few rotations for blocked shots. He finished with a game-high four swats.
Michael Carter-Williams: A
MCW's been wildly inefficient at times during this season and the first round of the playoffs. On Monday, he played a much more controlled game. He avoided the terrible mid-range twos and attacked inside.
From the opening tip, it was clear that Rose was simply too small and at this point in his career too slow to keep Carter-Williams out of the paint.
Zaza Pachulia: B
Thanks to a couple of ridiculous shots that fired up his teammates, Zaza Pachulia almost seemed like a gimmick for the Bucks.
But he was actually pretty effective outside of the prayers he put up on offense. He played very physical defense and controlled the boards while he was in.
Pachulia finished the game with 10 rebounds and nine points.
Ersan Ilyasova: D
Ersan Ilyasova was the one Bucks starter who couldn't get anything going on either end of the floor. His shot was off all night, and he was unable to slow down Pau Gasol with his defense.
Ilyasova scored just six points on 2-of-11 shooting.
Rest of Team: B+
A couple of Bucks reserves, John Henson and O.J. Mayo, turned in solid performances off the bench.
Henson grabbed 14 rebounds, scored eight points and blocked a shot. Mayo struggled with his shot but still managed to score 10 points on 2-of-8 shooting thanks to his ability to get to the line. He also played great defense on Rose for big stretches in the second half.
Chicago Bulls
Derrick Rose: D-
It didn't matter who was in front of Derrick Rose. He couldn't get by the defense of Carter-Williams, O.J. Mayo or Jerryd Bayless. He wound up with 13 points on 5-of-20 shooting.
MCW was especially hard on Rose. His length never allowed driving lanes to open. Rose kept trying to score on him but simply couldn't get any separation. Whether he was trying to drive or pull up for two, he never had near enough space to get a good shot off.
On the other end, the same things limited Rose. He simply couldn't stay in front of Carter-Williams. The Bucks guard punished him on drive after drive.
Jimmy Butler: B-
It's more clear after each game that this is now Butler's team. He may have had an off night shooting (5-of-21) but was still somehow the most effective iso option when Chicago needed one throughout the game.
He got to the line for nine free-throw attempts and also dished out a team-high six assists (tied with Joakim Noah).
He was his typically disruptive self on the other end as well. His 10 rebounds and four steals gave the Bulls extra possessions in transition that they desperately needed against Milwaukee's stingy D.
On the ball, he wasn't quite as effective as he's been in other games. Middleton and Antetokounmpo were both able to get loose against him on a number of possessions.
You take the good with the bad with Pau Gasol. On the one hand, he's extremely productive on the boards and around the rim. He finished with his ninth double-double of 2014-15 against the Bucks.
But defensively? Well, that was the bad. Gasol got lost on that end a number of times, especially when the Bucks made him play anywhere near the three-point line.
Joakim Noah: A-
Throughout his career, Joakim Noah's been known as someone who would impact a game on will alone. Even without the skills he has, his effort would help the Bulls.
Both the skills and the effort were on display in Game 5. He battled his way to 13 rebounds, 10 points and three blocks. He also showed off sharp vision and a willingness to pass, dishing out six assists.
Mike Dunleavy: F
Mike Dunleavy's primary role—perhaps his only role—is that of a floor-spacer. He simply didn't fill the role.
Against the young, long and athletic Bucks, Dunleavy was a step slow. He played only 21 minutes and scored zero points on 0-of-3 shooting.
Rest of Team: C-
With Rose playing 42 minutes and Butler playing 46, the Bulls' reserve backcourt barely saw the floor. Aaron Brooks managed to score five points in six minutes, and Kirk Hinrich went 0-of-1 in two minutes.
The reserves who did get some playing time were Tony Snell, Nikola Mirotic and Taj Gibson. Snell and Mirotic combined to go 1-of-9 for three points. Gibson had 12 points and two blocks and played with his typical energy on the defensive end.
Coming Up Next
The Bucks will now have a chance to tie the series on their home floor. Game 6 will be Thursday, April 30, at 7 p.m. ET on TNT.
Milwaukee will once again need to throw multiple defenders at Rose and Butler and trust the bigs to clean up the boards.
For the Bulls, breaking down the Bucks' stellar defensive rotations will be critical. Combining less isolation drives and more ball movement with the pass is the only way to do that.
Andy Bailey covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him @AndrewDBailey.
