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*Photo via NBC.com
The Chicago Bulls destroyed the Milwaukee Bucks with a 120-66 win. The Bulls finally finished the series on their third try, but the performance was well worth the wait. This was the fourth largest win in postseason history.
This game was all Bulls, they came out with a high energy level and executed from the start. The game was pretty much over at halftime.
A tough performance to stomach for Bucks fans.
The Bulls started the first quarter with great intensity on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they were moving with and without the ball; on defense, they pressured the Bucks and forced them into difficult shots.
The Bucks didn’t help the matter committing four turnovers and missing all of their three-point attempts. This combination led to the Bulls finishing the quarter up 34-16.
The play of Michael Dunleavy (eight points) and Pau Gasol (13 points,five rebounds) stood out in the first quarter.
The second quarter didn’t get any better for the Bucks. The Bulls continued to play with energy and attack the paint.
The Bucks on the other hand, continued to turn the ball over. Both factors led to the Bulls adding to their lead, finishing the quarter up 65-33.
Dunleavy had another impactful quarter, scoring 11 more points and pissing off the Bucks team. Dunleavy made contact with Giannis Antetokumpo’s face, and the next possession Giannis tackled Dunleavy into the first row, resulting in ejection for Giannis. The Bucks’ frustration was evident.
One big difference in the half was the starting lineups; the Bulls starters hit shots and the Bucks starters did not, combining for nine of 24 shooting in the first half.
The Bucks didn’t fight back in the third quarter and saw the Bulls lead go as high as 46 points. Yes, really, 46 points, a ridiculous number for a playoff game. The game was over from this point, and we saw reserves the rest of the way.
Player of the Game: Michael Dunleavy. Dunleavy had a huge game scoring 19 points in the first half on four of six shooting from behind the arc. He also threw in four rebounds, five assists, and don’t forget, he really aggravated the Bucks.
Dud of the Game: Milwaukee Bucks. Any time a teams goes down 46 in a playoff game it falls on the whole team.
Stat of the Game: The final score was 120-66, enough said.
After the Bulls took a 3-0 series lead it was all but over for the Bucks. The Bucks did manage to make it an interesting series but needed a better start to have any chance to win.
The Bulls were just the more talented team in this series. Even in the first three wins, the Bulls didn’t play a complete game for the most part and still managed to win. In the Bulls losses, they didn’t bring it for the full 48 minutes and still had a chance. Tonight was a display of their potential when they play a full game. When they are intense on both sides of the ball, they look like a deadly team that could make a run for the NBA Finals.
The Bucks didn’t play well enough in the first three games to win this series. They had to play at another level to compete with the Bulls and they did not do it consistently enough . Another issue for the Bucks was taking care of the ball, and against a team like the Bulls, every possession matters.
Still, the young team fought back to make this an interesting series and gained some valuable playoff experience. We will see them here for years to come.
The Bulls will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the next round.