The Bulls had a severe challenge as they faced off against the #3 Milwaukee Bucks, led by two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks were hungry for a win as they are coming off of a three-game losing streak. The Bucks were missing two starters coming into this game. Khris Middleton with knee soreness and Jrue Holiday with a hip contusion.
The casualties did not matter, though, as the Bucks carried a lead for the whole second half. Antetokounmpo was a problem in the paint with his height and athleticism, to which the Bulls had no answer. The Bulls started to send two players to Giannis every time in the post, forcing him to pass. This led to a run that had begun late in the fourth quarter.
The Late Bulls Comeback
The score was 104-95 with less than two minutes left, and the Bulls went on a late 9-2 run, putting them down two points with only 7.1 seconds left. Antetokounmpo made a bad pass stolen by Demar Derozan, who passed it to the Chicago native Ayo Dosunmu, who slammed it down to tie the game and take it into overtime.
Demar Derozan had taken over in the final 5 minutes scoring ten points off of two jump shots and six free throws. Antetokounmpo was finally able to be slowed down, having only two points throughout this period. This allowed the Bulls to come up on top with a win resulting in a score of 119-113. DeRozan finished the game with a whopping 42 points, adding on ten boards and giving him a double-double.
Antetokounmpo finished the game with 45 points and 22 rebounds, and this loss continues their losing streak and moves them under the Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference standings. With this upset win, the Bulls moved to 10th place in the Eastern Conference.
Written By Willie Hurt
Sources:
ESPN: Bucks vs Bulls Play-by-Play
CBS: Bucks vs Bulls Box Score
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Michael Tipton‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License