Bulls drop sixth straight in loss to Bucks |
CHICAGO - To say things have been a struggle for the Chicago Bulls (26-33) would be an understatement, as this team has absolutely no identity. Taking on a scorching Milwaukee Bucks (41-17) that came into Chicago riding an 11-game winning streak, the Bulls were hoping to avoid their longest losing streak of the season and head into the All-Star Break on a positive note.
The Bulls had a chance to extend another historic streak that only a few people knew about. With TNT doing the game, Chicago entered the game riding a 20-game winning streak when TNT does a Bulls game in Chicago. That is a fun tidbit to throw out there, but it is funny to think about. Like most streaks, they are made to be broken, and the Bucks managed to end the Bulls historic TNT winning streak with a 112-100 victory for their 12th straight win. The Bulls knew things would be a struggle coming into the game as Demar DeRozan, Derrick Jones Jr, and Alex Caruso were all out of action. That left the Bulls extremely short-handed, which is not how you want things to be when facing the Bucks. Knowing he would have to shoulder the load offensively yet again, Milwaukee did a great job taking Zach Lavine out of the game as he was held to just 18 points on a 5-16 night shooting. With him struggling to get much of anything going, the Bulls offense continued to look lethargic at best, but Nikola Vucevic decided to take it upon himself to carry the team. He led Chicago with 22 points while also bringing in 16 rebounds. At this point, the Bulls need to find a way to extend him beyond this season, as losing him for nothing in Free Agency would crush this team's morale. Another player that continues to play well is Patrick Williams, who had another solid performance on the floor. Williams added 16 points to the Bulls starting lineup while also bringing in five rebounds. This has been his best and most consistent season as a pro, and he is beginning to find his niche on the court. With both Derozan and Caruso out of the starting lineup, it gave Coby White a chance to lead the way, and even he struggled at the PG position, dropping eight points. Several G-League players also saw action on the court as the Bulls needed to figure out a way to cover all the lost minutes. Carlik Jones struggled in his 22 minutes as he finished with one point. Malcolm Hill added five, with Marko Simonovic coming away with no points in two minutes. However, the real story was the Rookie Dalen Terry having his breakout game. Terry has slowly been seeing more minutes on the court in recent games, as his energy has been a pleasant surprise. Thursday saw him have his coming out party as he dropped a career-high 13 points in 27 minutes. Terry also picked up seven rebounds and six assists, as his play may garner him more minutes down the stretch. When it comes to the Bucks, Giannis is the engine that makes them go, but after scoring just two points in nine minutes, he was lost for the remainder of the game with a wrist injury. Had the Bulls been at full strength, this would have been one of those situations where they could have taken advantage of. However, the lack of healthy NBA bodies loomed large in this one as the Bucks continued to play fantastic basketball. With Giannis out, it was up to the rest of the lineup to step up, including Brook Lopez. The big man had a great game, leading all scorers with 33 points. Jevon Carter added 22 points while connecting on four triples, with Jrue Holiday adding 15 points to shoulder most of the load for Milwaukee. The biggest thing that has led to the Bucks recent surge has been the balanced scoring attack they have displayed, as this team is more than just Giannis. That balanced attack was displayed all game, with AJ Green adding 15 points off the bench to lead the second unit. Grayson Allen chipped in with 10 to give the Bucks five players in double figures, while everyone who saw action came away with at least one point in the win. With the loss, the Bulls are limping into the all-star break as they have lost a season-high six straight games and are back to a season-worst seven games under .500. This team currently sits at 11th in the East and has fallen two games below the final playoff spot. Things may not get better as the Bulls return from the all-star break to face Brooklyn, as the last 23 games will be interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Je1yYfmSMg
