The Milwaukee Bucks (6-9) overwhelmed the undersized Chicago Bulls (6-10) on the interior, cruising to a 122-106 win on November 21. The Bucks outrebounded the Bulls 45-33 and outscored them in the paint 54-34 to claim their fourth win in their last five games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was unstoppable, dropping 41 points, including a scorching 25 in the third, while adding 9 rebounds and 8 assists. Damian Lillard struggled with his shot but still contributed 20 points and 10 assists. AJ Green sustained his sharpshooting streak, drilling 5-of-7 from deep en route to 18 points.
The Bucks, who started the season 1-6, are slowly rediscovering their form, thanks in large part to Brook Lopez’s resurgence. After averaging just 9.0 points and 4.6 rebounds through their first 10 games, Lopez has flipped the switch, putting up 19.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, and 2.4 steals over his last five outings. He was once again pivotal in today’s win, finishing with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals.
The Bulls relied heavily on Zach LaVine, who led the team with 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists, while Nikola Vucevic added 14 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals.
Antetokounmpo’s Dominant Third Quarter Powers Bucks Through Bulls
The first was a back-and-forth affair, with the Bucks edging out a small lead thanks to Green’s 11 points. Milwaukee unleashed a scoring barrage in the second, building a 16-point advantage. Lillard and Antetokounmpo took turns punishing the Bulls as they built a commanding (65-48) lead. But LaVine came alive late to trim the gap to 12 at the break.
Milwaukee stayed in control, holding a double-digit lead in the third with Antetokounmpo taking over. But Chicago erupted with a barrage of threes during a 16-6 run, cutting the deficit to just one. Antetokounmpo responded in time, dropping 12 points to rebuild the Bucks’ cushion at (98-90). The Bulls mounted another rally in the fourth, with Phillips’ three-pointer bringing them back to 2. But the Bucks had an answer, draining three consecutive triples to extend their lead to (115-102). From there, Milwaukee took control and never looked back.
The Bucks host the Pacers, while the Bulls face the Hawks for the NBA Cup on Saturday.
