Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 12 rebounds to help the Milwaukee Bucks overcome Grayson Allen's ejection and beat the Chicago Bulls 94-90 on Friday night.
Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan scored 35 points but missed a 3-pointer that would have put the Bulls ahead with 23 seconds left. Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton made two free throws with 15.8 seconds remaining to close out the scoring.
Both teams posted their lowest 3-point percentages of the season. The Bulls shot 18.4% (7 of 38) from beyond the arc and the Bucks made 19.4% (6 of 31) of their attempts.
Chicago Bulls' Matt Thomas tries to get past Milwaukee Bucks' Grayson Allen during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP PhotoMorry Gash)
Allen was ejected midway through the third quarter for a flagrant foul 2 against Alex Caruso, who was driving to the basket. The play was originally ruled a common shooting foul but got upgraded to a flagrant 2 after a replay review.
Caruso landed on his right side and remained on the floor under the basket for a couple of minutes. He stayed in the game to attempt his free throws, though he missed both tries.
The Bulls were playing their first game since announcing Thursday that guard Lonzo Ball needs arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Ball averages 13 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
Chicago Bulls' Ayo Dosunmu and Milwaukee Bucks' Grayson Allen go after a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP PhotoMorry Gash)
Chicago was playing a fourth straight game without either Ball or Zach LaVine, who has a sore left knee that will prevent him from joining the Bulls for the final two games in this road trip as well. The Bulls have gone 1-3 in those four games.
But the Bulls still nearly pulled it out.
DeRozan hit a jumper to put the Bulls ahead 67-66 in the last minute of the third quarter. The Bulls grabbed a four-point lead early in the final period, but the Bucks responded and moved ahead for good on an Antetokounmpo free throw with 7:24 left.
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo fouls Chicago Bulls' Ayo Dosunmu during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP PhotoMorry Gash)
Middleton had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Bucks, while Bobby Portis added 12 points and 13 rebounds. Jrue Holiday scored 13 poinots.
Nikola Vucevic had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls. Matt Thomas added 11 points and went 3 of 5 on 3-point attempts.
TIP-INS
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer reacts during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP PhotoMorry Gash)
Bulls: Ball is expected to undergo surgery sometime next week, Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “I don’t have the exact date as of yet,” Donovan said before the game. “I think they wanted to at least let a week go by to let him do some strengthening in preparation before he goes in.” Ball is expected to require 6 to 8 weeks of recovery after his surgery. ... Donovan said LaVine has responded well to his treatment but doesn’t have an exact return date for him in mind. “We’re optimistic for sometime maybe middle to late next week if things continue to trend the way they are,” Donovan said. ... Tyler Cook made just his second career start. His only other start came with the Detroit Pistons last season. He had four points and five fouls in 26 minutes.
Bucks: Jrue Holiday came off the bench for a second straight game as the Bucks continue to monitor his minutes. Holiday returned to action Wednesday against Memphis after missing five games with a sore left ankle. ... The Bucks are 18-3 when they have Antetokounmpo, Holiday and Middleton all on the floor.
UP NEXT
Bulls: At Orlando on Sunday. The Bulls beat the Magic 123-88 in Orlando on Nov. 26 and 102-98 in Chicago on Jan. 3.
Bucks: Host the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. The Bucks have won their last 10 meetings with the Kings and haven’t lost to them since Feb. 1, 2016.
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DeMar DeRozan scored a career playoff-high 41 points and the Chicago Bulls outlasted the Milwaukee Bucks 114-110 on Wednesday night in Game 2 to tie their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Nikola Vucevic added 24 points and 13 rebounds, while Zach LaVine had 20 points as the Bulls beat the Bucks for just the second time in their last 19 meetings. The series now heads to Chicago for Game 3 on Friday.
The question facing the defending champion Bucks is whether they’ll be close to full strength when the series resumes. Bobby Portis left Wednesday’s game with a right eye abrasion after the first quarter and Khris Middleton exited with a sore left knee after slipping midway through the fourth quarter.
Milwaukee Bucks' Khris Middleton tries to get past Chicago Bulls' Patrick Williams during the first half of Game 2 of their first round NBA playoff basketball game Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP PhotoMorry Gash)
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 33 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists, putting him one assist from his second career playoff triple-double. Antetokounmpo increased his career postseason point total to 1,715 to overtake Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,692) for the most in Bucks history.
Brook Lopez had 25 points for the Bucks. Middleton scored 18 and Jrue Holiday 15.
DeRozan scored eight points during a 13-0 run that began late in the third quarter and gave the Bulls a 96-80 lead with 9:47 remaining. The Bulls still led by 15 before Milwaukee rallied in the final 7 ½ minutes.
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo shoots during the first half of Game 2 of their first round NBA playoff basketball game Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP PhotoMorry Gash)
Lopez converted a three-point play to cut Chicago’s lead to 112-109 with 56 seconds left. But after Alex Caruso and Vucevic got offensive rebounds on the Bulls’ ensuing possession, DeRozan’s driving layup made it 114-109 with 18.2 seconds remaining.
After facing an early 16-point deficit in Game 1, the Bulls started much faster this time.
The Bucks committed three turnovers in the game’s first 49 seconds and four in the first two minutes as the Bulls built an early 9-0 lead. The Bulls were ahead 29-28 at the end of a first quarter that featured six lead changes.
Chicago Bulls' Alex Caruso reacts during the first half of Game 2 of their an NBA playoff basketball game Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Milwaukee . (AP PhotoMorry Gash)
Chicago maintained a narrow lead before closing the second quarter on a 15-4 run to extend the margin to 65-49.
The Bulls extended the lead to 18 early in the third quarter, before the Bucks rallied with a small lineup featuring Antetokounmpo, Middleton and reserve guards Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton and Jevon Carter.
Antetokounmpo led the way as the Bucks went on a 15-2 run to cut the Bulls’ lead to three late in the third period. But the Bulls responded with 13 straight points and stayed in front the reset of the way.
Milwaukee Bucks' Jevon Carter drives past Chicago Bulls' Coby White during the first half of Game 2 of their an NBA playoff basketball game Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Milwaukee . (AP PhotoMorry Gash)
TIP-INS
Bulls: After shooting a season-low 32.3% and going 7 of 37 from 3-point range in a 93-86 Game 1 loss, the Bulls shot 49.4% and went 12 of 25 from beyond the arc Wednesday. DeRozan, LaVine and Vucevic shot a combined 21 of 71 overall and 4 of 22 from 3-point range in Game 1. They were a combined 33 of 62 overall and 7 of 14 on 3-point attempts in Game 2. ... Caruso had 10 assists to go along with nine points. ... Patrick Williams had 10 points and nine rebounds.
Bucks: George Hill missed a third straight game with an abdominal strain. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said before Game 2 that Hill isn’t expected back I the short term and that the team will monitor how the 35-year-old Hill guard progresses over the next “handful of days or more,” ... The Bucks had 15 turnovers to increase their season total to 36.
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks during the first half of Game 2 of their first round NBA playoff basketball game Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP PhotoMorry Gash)
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Chicago Bulls' Alex Caruso fouls Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo as he shoots during the first half of Game 2 of their first round NBA playoff basketball game Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP PhotoMorry Gash)
Chicago Bulls' DeMar DeRozan steals the ball from Milwaukee Bucks' Khris Middleton during the first half of Game 2 of their an NBA playoff basketball game Wednesday, April 20, 2022, in Milwaukee . (AP PhotoMorry Gash)
