Bucks 115, Bulls 101: Giannis channels his frustration into another winning performance

Matt Velazquez
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

CHICAGO – The Milwaukee Bucks were at an inflection point. After holding the Chicago Bulls at bay for most of the night, a pair of Coby White three-pointers had the Bulls up by a point and the crowd at the United Center roaring with less than 6½ minutes remaining.

Then, to make matters worse, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo tried to brush off Thaddeus Young in the post at the other end, somehow prompting his fifth foul, all offensive.

As tenuous as things got for the Bucks, though, they saved their best for last.

Led by Antetokounmpo, who finished with 33 points, 10 rebounds and avoided fouling out, the Bucks only allowed two points the rest of the night on the way to a 115-101 win Monday, their fourth straight victory. The win pushed the Bucks' road record to 7-2 heading into the final game of their current three-game road stretch on Wednesday in Atlanta.

“We just got stops, we got stops," Bucks center Brook Lopez said the way the Bucks closed the game. "Something we need to do for a full 48 minutes every night.”

Antetokounmpo, obviously peeved by Chicago's constant reaching, grabbing and hacking, channeled his frustration with the officials into yet another strong performance as he continued undeterred on his path toward the rim, eventually helping clinch the win with a couple key buckets and free throws in the final stretch.

BOX SCORE: Bucks 115, Bulls 101

It wasn't only Antetokounmpo who stood out, in the fourth quarter. Lopez loomed large, scoring 11 of his season-high 19 points in the fourth quarter. His work inside and at the free-throw line got the Bucks going early in that period and he added a critical and-one, a pair of blocks and a steal during Milwaukee's game-ending 17-2 run.

Over the course of the night, Lopez had five blocks along with 10 rebounds while patrolling the paint.

“I thought Brook had, overall, a great game," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "His timing, to make a few plays offensively early in the fourth quarter (was important). His defense -- really the whole game -- his defense the first six minutes of the game was phenomenal. It was one of Brook’s better games. Just really, really good stuff from him.”

Antetokounmpo added: “Not just in the fourth quarter, he did that in the first quarter. It was amazing. He was a beast out there. Just knowing that you have a guy like Brook behind you, he makes the game easier.”

Bucks guards Donte DiVincenzo and George Hill alternated their scoring. DiVincenzo put up 13 of his 15 points in the first half, including an especially strong stretch in the second quarter where he figured into five straight buckets for the Bucks.

Hill then caught fire in the second half, aggressively looking to make plays while scoring 13 of his 18 points after intermission.

White, whose fourth-quarter triples gave the Bulls life, finished with 13 points. The star of the game for Chicago, though, was fellow rookie Daniel Gafford who came off a stint in the G League and showed off his athleticism inside with 21 points on 10 of 12 shooting.

In the end, though, Milwaukee's tough defense and ability to get to the rim made the difference. As was the case Thursday when these two teams last played, the night didn't end in hugs and handshakes. Hill drilled a three-pointer with 10.5 seconds left, irritating the Bulls much as Eric Bledsoe's dunk after the final buzzer did at Fiserv Forum.

On the mend

Bucks wing Khris Middleton was back with the team on Monday, marking his first appearance at a game since Nov. 10 when he suffered a left thigh bruise against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The injury happened on an innocuous-looking play when Thunder forward Terrence Ferguson kneed Middleton in the leg.

After that game, Middleton believed he wouldn't miss much time, hoping to return following a set of three days off. He admitted Monday he was surprised when the MRI results came back the next day, delivering a prognosis that he would likely miss 3-4 weeks.

Middleton has residual pain in his left leg but was able to get back on the court for some  work at the United Center before watching his teammates from courtside. He will travel with the team to Atlanta for Wednesday's game against the Hawks.