Milwaukee Bucks, even without stars, look for another win against the Chicago Bulls
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Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks is defended by Cameron Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets at Fiserv Forum on Dec 26.
PHOTO: AFP
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CHICAGO – The Chicago Bulls, mired in a three-game losing skid, welcome the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Dec 28 (Dec 29, Singapore time) for their second National Basketball Association (NBA) matchup in six days.
Milwaukee return to Chicago for the second time this week, having routed the Bulls 112-91 on Dec 23, despite missing All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton picked up the slack, each posting 21 points, with NBA scoring leader Antetokounmpo sidelined with an illness.
The Bucks were again without Antetokounmpo and Lillard – the latter having missed the last four games with a calf injury, while also dealing with an illness – in their 111-105 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Dec 26.
“Ain’t no excuses,” Bobby Portis said following the defeat. “We lost, they won, we move on Saturday. Get a win (against Chicago), feel good, go into Indiana (and) the new year. That’s it.”
Milwaukee (16-13) have two more games remaining for the year – against the Bulls and at the Indiana Pacers on Dec 31.
Through the 2024 portion of their schedule, the Bucks have ridden highs and lows, with a seven-game winning streak from Nov 18 to Dec 3, not long after they lost six straight during a 2-8 start.
Antetokounmpo’s 32.7 points per game leads the league, and Lillard is averaging 25.7 points and 7.5 assists a contest.
However, Milwaukee near 2025 just three games above .500 and ranked in the middle-to-lower half of the NBA in a variety of team categories. Among them is scoring, with the Bucks averaging 112.5 points per game – the 14th-highest output in the league, and down 6.5 points from their 2023-24 average.
Milwaukee’s defence, however, has improved from a season ago, down from a 116.4-point per game yield in 2023-24 to 111.2 in 2024-25.
The Bucks delivered one of their best defensive performances of the season in the Dec 23 win at Chicago, limiting the Bulls to 91 points on 36-of-90 shooting (40 per cent) from the floor, including 10-of-48 (20.8 per cent) from three-point range, and forcing 15 turnovers.
Despite their loss, Chicago are averaging 117.7 points per game – fifth-most in the NBA – behind leading scorers Zach LaVine (22.3 points per game), Nikola Vucevic (20.7) and Coby White (17.7).
The Bulls’ struggles have come on the defensive end as they sit five games below .500 amid their current losing streak. After conceding 141 points in an eight-point loss at Atlanta on Dec 26, Chicago (13-18) are surrendering the league’s second-highest opponent output at 121.8 points per game.
They head into the matchup with the Bucks coming off an especially frustrating fourth quarter of defence, when they gave up 50 points in the period to squander 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.”
Some potential good news for the Bulls is that versatile swingman Josh Giddey, averaging 11.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and a team-high 6.9 assists per game, could be available after missing the last four games with an ankle injury.
“A lot is going to depend on how he responds (after a workout on Dec 26) and then probably get another one in (the next day),” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said of Giddey’s progress towards a return. REUTERS
