The Milwaukee Bucks continue to shine as they’re one game away from advancing to the second round in the playoffs. The crowd was amped up in the United Center on Sunday as the Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls in blowout fashion, 119-95.
Only trailing a little bit to start off the game, Milwaukee built up a lead as big as 24 points before the first half was even complete. Taking the bull by the horns, the Bucks took control of the game. Before they come back to Milwaukee on Wednesday, why don’t we take a look at some takeaways from Sunday’s matchup.
Grayson Allen continues to dominate.
After an impressive 22-point contest in Game 3, Grayson Allen continues to show that he’s not showing any signs of slowing down. It was yet another stellar night for Allen as he put up a 27-point performance. Offensive wise, Allen went 10-of-12 from the field, 6-of-7 being from the three-point range. By himself, he was able to outscore Chicago and their bench 27-15.
Additionally, he became the first Bucks player to score 25 points and tack on six 3’s in a playoff game; the first Bucks player with at least 25 points since Tim Thomas in ’03. Defensively, he added three steals, and two rebounds off the bench. Once Khris Middleton went down in game two, Allen has stepped up and become a huge contributor to the Bucks’ playoff success against the Bulls so far. The Bucks have been looking for that bench production as they look to travel to the second round, and Grayson Allen has definitely helped them out.
“We booed him during the game and he really started hooping man. I think we just stuck with it.” pic.twitter.com/W5uXza1vZI
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 24, 2022
The Bucks had powerful control on both sides of the court.
At the beginning of the series, Milwaukee had their struggles on either side of the court. But games three and four proved to be different. Giannis Antetokoumnpo had yet another MVP worth performance, scoring 32 points on 11-of-22 from the field. He additionally was given 12 free throws in which he shot 9-of-12. Defensively, there was no stopping Giannis. 17 total rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks, he was in total control of the court. The Bucks were able to hold the Bulls to just 95 points on a mere 35-of-90 shooting from the field and 9-of-36 from distance. While the Bulls’ trio of DeRozan, LaVine, and Vucevic tried to battle it out, they only ended up shooting a combined 21-of-52. Chicago just couldn’t seem to get around Milwaukee’s defense on the court.
In his second straight start, Bobby Portis had 14 points with 10 rebounds in 33 minutes of play. Jrue Holiday overcame his previous offensive struggles from earlier in the series, adding 26 points in 37 minutes of play; 10-of-21 from the field, 5-of-8 from the three. Collectively as a team, Milwaukee shot 45-of-86 (52.3 percent) from the field, and 17-of-33 from the three.
Looking Forward
With the Milwaukee Bucks now standing at 3-1 in the series, they’ll welcome the Bulls back to the Fiserv Forum on Wednesday night to hopefully close out the first round with a victory. Tip time has yet to be determined, but more information will be provided when available.
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