Bulls no match for short-handed Bucks |
CHICAGO - The Chicago Bulls (13-17) can't get out of their own way, and it is almost painful to watch at times. Despite rattling off three straight wins to get within two games of the .500 mark, the Bulls have now dropped two straight on the United Center floor, which shouldn't surprise anyone.
Entering play on Monday, the Bulls came into the game with a putrid 4-10 mark on their home floor and are now 4-11. That is one of the worst home records in the game, as this team has surprisingly been better on the road than at home. Their most recent loss came on Monday against the Milwaukee Bucks (16-12), and it was an especially tough pill to swallow. Not only were the Bucks without their best player, Giannis Antetokoumpo, but Damian Lillard was also out of action, as both players were dealing with illness. Despite being short-handed and missing two of their big studs, it didn't seem to matter, as Milwaukee made quick work of the Bulls, 112-91. This game was essentially decided in the first quarter, although the Bucks did push the lead to 20 points after the break. In the first quarter, the Bulls simply had no answers, as Milwaukee opened up a 33-17 lead and never looked back. Add in the third quarter, when the Bulls were outscored by six, and they had no shot in this one despite outscoring Milwaukee by three in the second and fourth quarters. Anytime your team is held to 91 points, you know the offense is tough to come by, as no one on the Bulls roster topped 20 points. Leading the way for the Bulls was big man Nikola Vucevic, who finished the game with 17 points and 12 boards. Apart from him, there was no one else the Bulls could consistently count on, although five of their players landed in double figures. Four of those five came from the starting lineup, with Zach Lavine picking up 14 points and Patrick Williams chipping in with 13 as his recent stretch of strong play continued. The former No. 4 overall pick has taken a lot of heat since stepping foot on an NBA court, but his past few games have shown signs of life, but it may be too little too late for him. Rounding out the Bulls starting lineup was Coby White and his 10 points as he continues to battle through one of the worst shooting slumps of his career. For the most part, the Bulls bench provided your typical production, but Jalen Smith took it upon himself to have one of his best games of the season by putting up 14 points and grabbing seven boards. Dalen Terry also put forth a strong outing with eight points, but that was about it for the excitement from the Chicago side. Any time the Bucks are down both Lillard and Antetokoumpo, you must consider it a blessing and a blessing you need to take advantage of. The Bulls simply couldn't do that, as their 10-48 night from distance was a significant factor in this loss. Milwaukee also had several guys stepping up to pick up the slack, with former Bull Bobby Portis having a great night. Filling in for Antetokoumpo, Portis did his best impression of him as he continued to torment his former team with 19 points and 13 boards. He was one of three players to have at least 19 points, and Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton each added a game-high 21. Neither of them did much of anything besides score, but with six made triples between the two of them, it was an issue. Those were the only starters to hit double figures in the game for Milwaukee, but this was one of those nights where they didn't need to be at their best. Not only did the Bulls' poor shooting help, but the Bucks got plenty of bench production, which helped make up the nearly 60 missing points. Gary Trent Jr. flashed his long-range ability off the bench, knocking down four of the Bucks' 18 triples and finishing with 14 points. AJ Green also managed to come away with 10 points despite a rough time shooting the ball, as those two nearly outscored the entire Bulls bench. Chicago will now enjoy two days off over Christmas before returning to action Thursday when they travel to take on the Atlanta Hawks. Chicago is hopeful that both Lonzo Ball and Josh Giddey will be back in the mix for that game, as their absences were felt on Monday.
