On a night where offense was hard to come by, the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks had to rely on their defense in their playoff opener. It was a good thing for the Bucks that their defense was at a championship level.
In a game that ended up being close, the Bucks were able to take care of business and take a 1-0 series lead over the Chicago Bulls, 93-86, on Sunday.
“The whole team was kind of out of rhythm,” said Antetokounmpo, who didn’t score in the fourth quarter while dealing with foul trouble. “We weren’t able to find one another as easy as we usually find one another and make shots. We missed a bunch of open shots today. Usually we make those and we get energy.”
The first quarter belonged to MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo. His fast start, nine points and seven rebounds in the first six minutes, allowed the Bucks to take an early double-digit advantage. He was a driving force, as usual, finishing with 27 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks. But even he, sometimes needs help.
There were big contributions from Bucks center Brook Lopez also. Lopez was the Bucks second leading scorer with 18 points, five rebounds and two blocks. This was one of his best performances since returning from back surgery in March. At the end of the first quarter, the Bucks led 34-21.
Things would even out in the second quarter, as the Bulls got to the basket and took advantage of some Milwaukee foul trouble. Despite the Bulls mini-surge, the Bucks still held onto control. They had a 51-43 lead going into the locker room.
The third quarter did not go as planned for Milwaukee, especially after Antetokounmpo checked out of the game. The Bulls went on a hot streak, led by Zach LaVine and their defensive intensity. They tied and took the lead for the first time in the contest. Bulls’ big man, Nikola Vucevic, scored eight straight points and was very emotional, with his fist in the air and a roar on his lips.
“It was a big shot for us,” Vučević said after the game. “Especially after the tough start we had, they (the Bucks) kind of jumped on us, and we battled, battled, battled, and we were able to get to a tie game. It’s the playoffs. Every moment is big. Every game is big. And the emotions came out.”
However, the Bucks did not let them hold the five-point lead for long. Milwaukee had a three- point lead going into the final frame, 74-71.
It would be a defensive slugfest throughout the fourth quarter, with each team scoring less than 20 points. Chicago gave the Bucks everything they could handle and more, but they could not find their rhythm from the field, only shooting 32% from the field, third worst in Bulls playoff history. Milwaukee only shot 40% themselves from the floor. In the fourth, the Bulls were 6-of-28 and 1-of-12 from downtown.
“Every shot I took tonight felt good,” said DeMar DeRozan, who scored 18 points but shot 6 of 25. “I guarantee you that me, Zach and Vooch (Nikola Vucevic) aren’t going to miss that many shots again.”
Vucevic had a double-double with 24 points, 17 rebounds, but struggled shooting, hitting only 9 of 27. He also had three dimes, one steal and two blocks. LaVine also had a double-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block. DeRozan added 18 points, with eight rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Jrue Holiday scored 15 points, six boards, six assists and two steals. Bobby Portis had a double-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block off the bench.
Game 2 is Wednesday in Milwaukee.
