.png){kind=small}
*Photo via Getty Images
Game Three: Chicago Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks
Bradley Center, Milwaukee Wisconsin
The Chicago Bulls outlast the Milwaukee Bucks for the double overtime win. The final score was 113-106, Bulls.
The first quarter of this game was pretty back and fourth.Both teams saw leads as large as five and both team went on little runs. There wasn’t much defense,each team scored 27 points and shot great percentages. The Bucks shot 50 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the three-point line , while the Bulls shot 60 percent from the field and 50 percent from three.
The second quarter was sporadic, it saw impressive runs from each team. The Bucks dealt the first blow of the quarter with a 16-4 run. This was created by the play of Giannis Antetokounmpo and John Henson, who played with a lot of energy. The Bucks also played some aggressive defense that resulted in some fast break opportunities.This led to the Bucks pushing the lead up to 18.
After the Bucks started to cool down, the Bulls responded. They were lead by Rose and Butler, like they have been most of the series. The Bulls finished the half on a 14-0 run and were happy to be only down two at halftime.
Both team had some guys put up some nice number in the first half. The Bulls had Rose score 13 points and Butler score 11. The Bucks had Giannis score 17 in the half, more than he has scored in any game this series. John Henson also had a nice half with nine points and four offensive boards.
The Bulls carried their momentum into the third quarter, playing with a lot of energy. The Bucks did match, at least for a while, but the Bulls ended up with the lead. This was thanks to the play of Derrick Rose, who had himself an impactful third quarter, scoring nine points.
The Bucks shooting was another reason they lost the lead in the third. Still, the Bucks managed to grind out some points, and finished the quarter down three.
The fourth started with both teams missing shots early, the first one out of the funk would take the lead, and that was the Bulls.
The Bucks continued to shoot poorly, allowing the Bulls to build their lead to 10. Out of nowhere, the Bucks turned it on and went on an 11-0 run, including two big threes by Kris Middleton. Ultimately giving the Bucks a one point lead, but that didn’t last long. Rose headed to the free-throw line on the next possession, and hit one of two shots at the line.
Middleton couldn't convert at the buzzer, so this one goes to overtime.
Overtime started with the teams going back and forth. The Bucks were lead by a hot O.J. Mayo in overtime. Still, the Bulls’ Jimmy Butler had a chance to hit a potential game-winning shot on the Bulls’ last possession, but did not convert. The Bucks too had a chance to win it, but failed to get a quality look and ended up with a Mayo air-ball. This sent the game to double-overtime.
The second overtime was all Bulls. The Bucks looked sluggish and had way too many turnovers. The Bucks also didn’t score a basket until there was a little over a minute left in the overtime. Not the type of performance you need to finish the game, especially a playoff game.
Thanks to the Bucks play, the Bulls and Derrick Rose were able to cruise to the win. Taking a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Player of the Game- Derrick Rose was awesome, he scored 34 points on 12 of 23 shooting and dished out eight assist. Rose seems to always ignite a big Bulls run with one of his highlight plays.
Dud of the Game- The Bucks free-throw shooting was a huge factor for this loss. The Bucks only hit 56 percent of their free-throws, missing 11 from the stripe.
Stat of the Game- The Bucks scored more points in the paint (46-38), had less turnovers (12-16), and had more offensive rebounds (17-12). Yet somehow lost the game.
This was a big game in the series, the Bucks needed to win this if they wanted any chance. Now it looks like this series will end in four of five games.
The Bulls just outmatch the Bucks, even games like tonight when the Bucks play hard, and even have a lead of 18, they still lose. The Bucks need someone who can get them a basket in half-court sets or when the shot-clock is running down. They just have too many stretches where they go cold from the field. The Bucks may not last much longer in the postseason this year, but we should see them for years to come.
The Bulls on the other hand have shown they can be a dangerous team in the East. Especially the way the Butler and Rose are playing, they can compete with anyone. The crazy thing is the Bulls haven’t even needed a big scoring night from Gasol to win any of these game. That just says something about the talent they have. They have also shown the ability to turn it up defensively when needed. The only issues I have with the Bulls is their consistency, if they played at a high level on both sides of the ball these games would not be close.
Game four is Saturday at 5:30 on TNT.