© Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks - GAME DAY PREVIEW
Can the Chicago Bulls (28-31) pull off another miracle at the United Center? Days after stunning the second-best team in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls train their attention to the third-best squad in the East, the Milwaukee Bucks (39-21).
Morale-boosting win
Despite playing without their best defender, Alex Caruso, who sat out because of a hamstring injury, Chicago pulled off a remarkable 132-123 win over the Cavs in double-overtime. It was a huge win for a severely-undermanned Bulls squad that has lost Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams for the season, and remains without Torrey Craig, who suffered a knee sprain over the All-Star break.
While DeMar DeRozan, Ayo Dosunmu, Nikola Vucevic, and Andre Drummond came up with incredible performances, little-known wingman Onuralp Bitim also chimed in, as the rookie had 10 points and six rebounds.
“I’m proud of him. We’re all proud of him. It’s amazing to see a guy do what he did in such a big game and close the game too. He hit some big shots, made some big plays, held his own defensively,” DeRozan said of the young Turk.
“It’s crazy. We haven’t had much practice with him knowing the offense and having a rhythm with us. So for him to do what he did is amazing.
“You can tell he can play. You can tell the IQ and the feel is there. He can shoot the heck out of the ball.”
A different beast
The Bulls will be facing a different beast in the Bucks—a team that has found its groove after the All-Star break, winning four straight, including a dominant 111-99 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.
According to Doc Rivers, the Bucks know this is a crucial point of the season and have responded well.
“A veteran team that knows like, listen this stretch, either we get it going or we don’t,” Rivers said.
“As I said when I first took the job, that doesn’t equate into wins right away or it could all be wins and you still not be ready. It’s more about being ready. And that’s what you can see, the urgency.”
