The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Chicago Bulls in overtime on Monday night with a score of 133-129. This is the second straight game between these two opponents that needed extra time to decide the outcome.
In their last matchup back in late November, The Bulls pulled out the victory with a score of 120-113. They were missing both of their top scorers in DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, but were still able to pull out the win. Last night was not the same outcome, as Giannis Antetokounmpo and company were able to close the Bulls out in overtime.
DeMar DeRozan and Coby White Combine for 74 points in Loss to the Milwaukee Bucks
DeRozan was back in the lineup for Chicago after missing the last contest versus Milwaukee. He dropped 41 points and 11 assists in 42 minutes of action, including the big shot to send the game to overtime. He also shot 3-6 from behind the arc. This is DeRozan’s 24th 40-plus point game in his career and his first 40-point game of the season.
With Zach LaVine ruled out for Monday night’s matchup with a right foot injury, Chicago needed someone to step up and score in his absence. Coby White exceeded expectations in filling that role, dropping 33 points and 6 rebounds while shooting 6-10 from three. White has now scored at least 20 points in 5 of his last 7 games.
“All our guys showed up.”
Brook Lopez chats with @melaniebricks after the win! #FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/Y2keq08KbL
— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) December 12, 2023
DeRozan and White may have exploded for the Bulls, but their performance was not enough to defeat the Bucks in Fiserv Forum. As Brook Lopez said, this was a team win for Milwaukee. Everyone showed up and came to play. As a team, the Bucks shot over 51 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from behind the arc.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Continues to be Efficient in Win Over Chicago Bulls
Giannis Antetokounmpo had yet another commanding performance last night versus Chicago, dropping 32 points and 12 rebounds shooting 9-13 from the field. Antetokounmpo is now shooting a ridiculous 68.2 percent from the field in his last six games on an average of 17.8 shots per game.
Malik Beasley and Brook Lopez added 19 points apiece, shooting a combined 50 percent from three. Bobby Portis also added 17 points and 7 rebounds in 25 minutes of action off the bench.
Damian Lillard’s Struggles from Deep versus Chicago
While the Bucks were able to pull out the win in overtime, Damian Lillard struggled to find his rhythm tonight. Lillard shot 3-17 from the field and only made 2 of his 9 three-point attempts. He may have only finished the game with 14 points, but he was still getting involved as a facilitator, dropping 9 assists and limiting himself to only 2 turnovers.
While Lillard couldn’t find his shot in the overtime victory, he is still averaging over 25 points and 7 assists per game on the season and has been a great addition to this Bucks team. He is someone who can catch fire at any moment, it just wasn’t one of those nights.
The Milwaukee Bucks will have another opportunity at revenge on Wednesday as they await Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers arrival. The Pacers beat the Bucks last Thursday in the Semifinal of the In-Season Tournament with a score of 128-119.
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