The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Chicago Bulls 115-112 in Game 1 of their Central Division Semifinals matchup. Giannis Antetokounmpo had a triple double with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists while Khris Middleton chipped in 24 points to win a game many thought would be an easy victory for the home team.
The Milwaukee Bucks “win ugly,” survive a Chicago Bulls rally in Game 1. The game was close throughout, but the Bucks were able to pull out a victory. Read more in detail here: milwaukee bucks finals 2021.
12:20 a.m. Eastern
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ESPN’s Jamal Collier
MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The Milwaukee Bucks evolved into a defensive powerhouse during the playoffs on their route to capturing their first NBA title, ranking first among playoff teams in defensive efficiency after finishing at the bottom of the top 10 during the regular season.
During the 2021-22 regular season, the Bucks were ranked 14th in defense. However, they cranked up the heat for Game 1 of the playoffs on Sunday, suffocating the Chicago Bulls offense en way to a 93-86 win in Milwaukee.
“You have to win ugly sometimes,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “It’s not going to be nice or flawless all of the time.”
Milwaukee got out to a quick start, racing out to a 9-0 lead and amassing a 16-point first-quarter lead against its division opponent after winning their regular-season matchup in all four games. However, the Bulls rallied to make the game competitive, even taking the lead in the third quarter before the Bucks rallied in the fourth.
Bulls guard Zach LaVine remarked, “They made a few more winning plays than we did.”
The Bucks had lost five of their previous six Game 1s in their last two playoff trips, with their lone victory coming against the Miami Heat in Game 1 of last year’s opening round. Despite 21 turnovers, an uncharacteristically dismal effort by Khris Middleton (4 of 13 (1-for-7 from 3) for 11 points with seven mistakes, and zero points from Giannis Antetokounmpo in the fourth quarter, they won on Sunday.
Antetokounmpo, who ended with 27 points and 16 rebounds, stated, “There were so many reasons why the game was terrible.” “We couldn’t get to our places because we couldn’t make open shots. Not only for ourselves, but for both teams as well. I believe that not playing the game for a few days causes you to lose your rhythm. But, in the end, a victory is a victory. We didn’t want to go down 1-0.”
On Sunday, Milwaukee had defensive contributions from all over the floor.
Antetokounmpo battled foul trouble that limited his minutes during the fourth quarter, but he continued to be a disruptor defensively whenever the Bulls came near him. Chicago went 3-for-11 with Antetokounmpo as the closest defender, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Jrue Holiday and Wesley Matthews collaborated on the perimeter to shut down DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, who shot 6 of 25 when one of those two players was the main defender. DeRozan, LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic, Chicago’s Big 3, combined to shoot 21 of 71 (29.6%) from the field and 4 of 22 from beyond the arc.
“I had no idea what was going on,” DeRozan stated. “It wasn’t my fault. Each and every one of us. I promise that neither Zach nor I will miss that many shots again. We just have to keep doing what we’re doing defensively and try to take it to the next level.”
DeRozan, who scored 18 points in 43 minutes, said he was pleased with the most of his shots.
“I’m going to live with them again,” he said. “There’s no way I’m shooting 6 of 25 again.”
The Bulls shot 32.3 percent from the field and 18.9 percent from three-point range overall.
With both Antetokounmpo and LaVine dealing with foul trouble in the fourth quarter, it was Holiday’s defense that helped make the difference.
The Bulls went 0-for-7 in the fourth quarter with Holiday as the primary defender, according to ESPN Stats & Information, and Holiday contested all seven shot attempts.
Bucks center Brook Lopez stated, “Guys like Wes, Jrue, and Khris, they just take such tremendous satisfaction in playing outstanding defense.” “At the conclusion of the game, they ramped it up even further. They were completely locked in since they understood we needed the stops, and we got the j “b completed”
This season, Chicago has struggled to compete against the East’s best teams (1-14 versus the top four seeds in the regular season), so putting together a competitive game against Milwaukee is a step forward from their previous two regular-season meetings.
However, knowing the Bulls had a chance to win Game 1 down the line, DeRozan believed Sunday’s game was a squandered opportunity.
DeRozan answered, “Yeah, I mean, it is what it is now.” “At home, they did what they were supposed to do. We have another chance to grab home court, and that is our current aim. We’ll be able to go over a lot of things tomorrow and attempt to clean it up and become better at it because we’ve got a lot to analyze from this game. The lost chance is undoubtedly a bummer, but we have one more opportunity here in Milwaukee before we return to Chicago.”
The “bulls vs bucks 2022” is a game that the Milwaukee Bucks won ugly and survived a Chicago Bulls rally in Game 1.
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