The Chicago Bulls, currently on a three-game losing streak, will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday for their second meeting in six days.
Milwaukee returns to Chicago after beating the Bulls 112-91 on Monday, even without All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton stepped up, each scoring 21 points in place of the injured Antetokounmpo.
Once again, Antetokounmpo and Lillard were absent in Thursday’s 111-105 loss to Brooklyn. Lillard has missed the last four games with a calf injury and an illness.
“Ain’t no excuses,” Bobby Portis said after Thursday’s game. “We lost, they won, we move on Saturday. Get a win, feel good, go into Indiana (and) the new year. That’s it.”
The Bucks have two games left in 2024: Saturday in Chicago and Tuesday in Indiana. Their season has had ups and downs, including a seven-game win streak from Nov. 18 to Dec. 3, after a rough 2-8 start.
Antetokounmpo leads the league with 32.7 points per game, and Lillard averages 25.7 points and 7.5 assists. But the Bucks are only three games above .500 and rank mid-to-lower in various team stats. Their scoring is down, averaging 112.5 points per game, which is 16th in the league and 6.5 points less than last season.
Milwaukee’s scoring defense has improved, allowing 111.2 points per game, down from 116.4 last year.
In Monday’s win over Chicago, the Bucks had one of their best defensive games, holding the Bulls to 91 points on 36-of-90 shooting (40%) and 10-of-48 (20.8%) from three, while forcing 15 turnovers.
Chicago, despite Monday’s loss, averages 117.7 points per game, sixth in the NBA. Their top scorers are Zach LaVine (22.3 ppg), Nikola Vucevic (20.7), and Coby White (17.7). But the Bulls have struggled defensively, sitting five games under .500. They’ve allowed the second-most points in the league at 121.8 per game.
Chicago had a tough fourth quarter in their 141-133 loss to Atlanta on Thursday, giving up 50 points and losing a 17-point lead.
“We’re going to have to look at that and figure out what we need to do to weather the storm,” said LaVine, who scored a season-high 37 points in the loss. “That just can’t happen. It’s unacceptable.”
A possible boost for the Bulls could be the return of Josh Giddey, who has missed the last four games due to an ankle injury. He’s averaging 11.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and a team-high 6.9 assists.
“A lot is going to depend on how he responds (after a workout Thursday) and then probably get another one in (on Friday),” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said about Giddey’s potential return.
