Top Takeaways from DeMar DeRozan, Bulls vs. Giannis, Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks have dominated the Chicago Bulls in recent years. And with Giannis Antetokounmpo back on the court on Tuesday night, that trend continued.
The 27-year-old tallied 25 points and 17 assists to help the Bucks to a 126-98 win, as they improved to 45-27 with their ninth victory in 11 games. Milwaukee has won 15 of its last 16 matchups with Chicago, and the Bulls' only win during that stretch came on May 16 last year, when the Bucks were resting their starters ahead of the playoffs.
It was another impressive showing for Antetokounmpo, who missed Milwaukee's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday due to right knee soreness. His strong performance was complemented by a game-high 27 points from Jrue Holiday.
Chicago got 64 points from the trio of Nikola Vucevic (22), DeMar DeRozan (21) and Zach LaVine (21). But that wasn't enough to avoid its ninth loss in 12 games.
Here are some key takeaways from the Bulls-Bucks matchup.
If Giannis Plays, Bucks Can Overcome Other Injuries
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On Saturday, Antetokounmpo was out of the Bucks' lineup and Khris Middleton couldn't lead the team to victory. On Tuesday, the Greek star returned, but Middleton didn't play due to a wrist injury. It's clear that Milwaukee is a bit banged-up during this final stretch of the regular season.
But as long as Antetokounmpo is on the court for Milwaukee, it's capable of beating any team. That's how valuable the former NBA MVP is to the Bucks' success, and it's apparent every time he's in action.
Milwaukee has won nine of the last 10 games that he has played in, and he's scored 30 or more points six times during that stretch. If he wasn't at 100 percent on Tuesday, it wasn't apparent, as he shot 9-for-12 from the field and played at his typical high level.
The Bucks may not have had Middleton, but that didn't matter because Antetokounmpo was back. And that's the biggest key to success for Milwaukee, which is in second in the Eastern Conference and only two games back of the Miami Heat for the top seed.
If Antetokounmpo can stay healthy, the Bucks will likely continue to play well and can make a push for the No. 1 spot in the East.
"You cannot step on the floor and say 'Oh, we're going to win every time.' It's impossible," he said, per Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "But at the end of the day we know that the effort is there. Now, our effort is there every single night, win or lose. So we're in a good place."
Milwaukee is at its best when both Antetokounmpo and Middleton are healthy, as well as its other key supporting players. But Giannis' presence is much more important for the Bucks' quest to win back-to-back NBA titles, as was clear when they lost by 19 points to the Timberwolves on Saturday.
It seems Antetokounmpo will be able to play through his recent knee soreness, and that's a terrific thing for Milwaukee.
The Bulls Can't Hang with the League's Top Teams
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Even though the Bulls have been struggling, they're still in fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
They're only three games behind the Bucks and five games back of the Heat. Chicago has a two-game advantage over the Toronto Raptors, which are in seventh and would currently be the top team in the play-in tournament.
Although the Bulls are 42-30 and have had a strong season, they have one major problem: They can't beat the other top teams around the league.
Chicago is 0-2 against the Phoenix Suns, 0-2 against the Memphis Grizzlies, 0-3 against the Miami Heat, 0-2 against the Golden State Warriors and 0-3 against the Milwaukee Bucks. That's a combined record of 0-12 against the five teams with the best records in the NBA.
The Bulls haven't fared great against other solid squads in the East, either, as they're 0-4 against the Philadelphia 76ers and 1-1 against the Boston Celtics.
"Understanding what it's going to be like, and even tougher come playoffs," DeRozan said, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. "We're going through it right now, what you call battle wounds, battle scars. We're kind of taking them all on the chin right now. It's going to show us what we're made out of."
If Chicago can't figure out how to beat strong competition, it may have a quick exit from the playoffs. If the season ended today, the Bulls would be the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and would have to go on the road to begin a series against the Celtics.
There's still time for things to change, though, especially with how tight the standings are in the East. The Bulls have meetings with the Heat, Bucks and Celtics among their final 10 games of the regular season, so they'll get more opportunities to prove they can compete with these top teams. But they need them to go better than Tuesday's game.
