The Bucks concluded their 4 game road trip on Friday night in Chicago against the Bulls. With star players Giannis Antetokounmpo for the Bucks and Zach LaVine for Chicago both out, the teams were still able to give us an entertaining game. The Bucks got production from a few different contributors. Let’s break it down in our Bucks vs. Bulls recap!
First Half
As the game started, it appeared that the Bucks would run away with it. However, the Bulls made sure that wasn’t case. The Bucks went up by as many as 19 in the first half, but Chicago was able to trim that lead all the way down to 2 a couple of minutes before halftime. Milwaukee outscored Chicago 11-4 over the final 2:30 to take a 9 point lead to the break. Brook Lopez gave the Bucks a big offensive spark in the first 2 quarters, scoring 14 points. Bobby Portis replaced Giannis in the starting lineup and provided the good offense that he usually does. Khris Middleton also stuffed the stat sheet and even showcased some athleticism that doesn’t usually come from him.
Halftime Notables
Khris Middleton: 10 points/4 rebounds/6 assists
Brook Lopez: 14 points/2 rebounds/2 assists
Bobby Portis: 10 points/8 rebounds
Jrue Holiday: 9 points/1 rebound/4 assists
Second Half
Despite only having 5 bench points at the half, the Bucks were able to get great production from their bench in the second half. Jeff Teague scored all 11 of his points and provided all 4 of his assists in the game’s final 2 quarters. Brook Lopez picked up his scoring where he left off in the beginning of the game by finishing with 22 points. The Bucks built a few leads that looked like they were about to pull away, but the Bulls continued to fight. Luckily, Khris Middleton buried a dagger 3 with a little over a minute to play. On the Chicago side, Daniel Theis gave his team a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Game Notables
Khris Middleton: 22 points/8 rebounds/6 assists
Brook Lopez: 22 points/2 rebounds/3 assists
Bobby Portis: 16 points/14 rebounds/1 assist
Jrue Holiday: 16 points/2 rebounds/7 assists
Player of the Game
The Player of the Game honors for this game will go to Khris Middleton. While it may not have been Middleton’s most efficient night shooting, he showed up when it mattered the most. Middleton buried the clutch shot that iced the game for good and that is why he must be the choice as the game MVP.
Conclusion
Although it was a frustrating game throughout because the Bulls refused to stop fighting, the Bucks were still able to close them out eventually in the game’s final minutes. Milwaukee put together a much better performance defensively than they did on Thursday night against Houston. The Bucks showed the ability to close out pesky teams like Chicago and that could come up huge later as the postseason nears.
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