Basketball suicide for Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee in Chicago, a big game by DeRozan

The last stop on the Bucks’ longest road trip this season was neighboring Chicago, although the Stags had already returned home after their Christmas Day matchup with the Celtics in Boston. Early on Thursday (December 29) they played the Bulls, who were always extra motivated against them, in the legendary United Center, put up a great fight and led by 11 points in the 45th minute, but lost in overtime (119 -113). to achieve the four consecutive negative results.

Milwaukee fell to 22-12 (14-3 home and 8-9 away) with Giannis Antetokounmpo working wonders (45 points, 22 rebounds setting a career record, 7 assists), playing with extreme stubbornness and determination to cover the cover Absences from Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton but have crucial errors and misses in the final. The Bucks could have won the game easily if Grayson Allen had had a shot or two in the closing minutes (3/14 3-points), on a night when Pat Connaughton was out, Jevon Carter bid little and Wesley Matthews with Joe Ingles did not offer any solutions coming from the bank. Lopez and Portis tried, but 20.5% on 3-pointers was disappointing.

The Bulls (8-8 home and 7-11 a) went up to 15-19 in extra time to claim their second win of the year in the neighboring derby. Great performance by Bucks-loving DeMar DeRozan (42 points, 15/25 2-points, 12/14 shooting, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks in 44:25), with Nikola Vucevic stepping up to turn around to complete the rounds and contribute significantly to the result.

The next opponents for the Milwaukee Bucks are the Minnesota Timberwolves in the early hours of Saturday (December 31) at the Fiserv Forum.

Antetokounmpo’s account

He started the match strong, got three blocks but persevered, kept attacking and acted in a double role. In that of the scorer and in that of the creator. In the first 7:29 he had 9/5/3, in halftime he had 20/10/4 and in the final 45/22/7, also in the second half there were moments when he played as if there were no opponents and if he had avoided the two errors in the regular season finale he would have had the perfect performance.

He went into overtime with five fouls and that was a big test for him, but his fatigue was too great now and while he won two jumpers from Vucevic in seconds, he didn’t have the strength to lead the Bucks to victory. If anyone was really hurt by that four-game losing streak, it’s Antetokounmpo. Anyone who watched the game at the United Center understood that early on.

45 points
17/36 2-pointers (made career high)
0/3 three-hand
18.11 Recordings
22 rebounds (career high in his 761st NBA game)
7 assists
1 steal
5 errors
5 fouls
12 earned fouls
-10 to +/-
44.5 USG%
at 42:15

50-52 points on racquet, 8-10 points on surprise, 24-36 points on substitute, 15-12 points on opponent’s errors, 9-23 points on second chances (offensive rebounds). In front of 21,537 spectators there were seven draws and six lead changes!

The race

Although they didn’t start the game well, the Bucks quickly found a rhythm. They weren’t very efficient from three point range but they had Antetokounmpo demonically stubborn and thanks to him they took the lead midway through the third (19-16) before Portis did a great job scoring from the touchline and rebounding around to close the period at 28-32. The Bulls weren’t dangerous from the three-point range, but they took 14 points from LaVine-DeRozan.

The Bulls with DeRozan and Drummond made a small breakout early in the second, going up to +6 with a separate 11-1 without escaping. The game remained a derby until 57-55 at halftime, in which Milwaukee shot poorly from the perimeter (4/17) but had Antetokounmpo (10/20/4) in impressive form. At the same time, the home team had 12 points from Dragic and a boost from Drummond.

The Bucks were more serious and determined early in the second half but continued to be very inaccurate from the three-point area onwards. A.

He went to +11 (67-78), took a three from Matthews (the first long shot after two thirds), but again didn’t capitalize on the momentum. 79-82 at the end of the 12-minute period left the game open, with DeRozan at 25 and Giannis at 30. The Greek freak went to 36 (79-90) very early early in the fourth period at the same time the Bulls attempted Vucevic’s shot from stay alive at the top.

Giannis hit a big fadeaway and Allen made his third 3-pointer to take it to 93-104 at 45, but the Bulls responded with an unlikely 13-2 run to take it at 106-106 with Dosunmu’s open-court Dunk to tie at 7.8 from Giannis’ error on rebound. Still, the Bucks still had a chance. Antetokounmpo was charged with 1.4 steps. “The Bulls suddenly found the shot for the miracle, but their own rebound was also poor, causing the match to go over time.

In the extra five minutes, the Greek freak came on with five fouls but still attacked the Bulls’ basket with incredible fury. He won two dunks from Vucevic within seconds, but Montenegro responded with a three (111-110) and DeRozan made a +3 shot on 54″. Portis followed up with a three from Giannis’ seventh assist to equalize the game, big basket by DeRozan, miss by Giannis from six yards and shots by DeRozan for +4 at 13.9″ that couldn’t be canceled.

THE DODECALPTA: 28-32, 57-55, 79-82, 106-106 (qa), 119-113

CHICAGO BULLS (Billy Donovan): DeRozan 42 (15/25 2-points, 12/14 shots, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks), Williams 8 (4 rebounds, 2 assists), Vucevic 15 (3/5 3 -Pointers, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks), LaVine 24 (4/11 2-pointers, 4/7 3-pointers, 4/5 shots, 2 rebounds, 4 assists), Dosunmu 6 (6 rebounds, 2 assists ), White, Dragic 12 (2), Green 5, Drummond 7 (13 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks in 16:18), Terry

MILWAUKEE BUCKS (Mike Budenholzer): Connaughton (0/3 3-pointers, 0/2 shots, 7 rebounds, 2 assists), Antetokounmpo 45 (17/36 2-pointers, 11/18 shots, 22 rebounds, 7 assists), Lopez 14 (5/8 2pts, 0/4 3pts, 4/5 shots, 6 rebounds, 4 blocks), Allen 13 (3/14pts), Carter 5 (1), Portis 20 (4/11pts) ., 3/7 pt.). , 3/3 shots, 11 rebounds), Matthews 3 (1), Hill 8 (0/4 3-pointers), Ingles 5 (1/4 3-pointers), Beauchamp

Chicago Bulls team stats: 33/70 2-pointers, 9/22 3-pointers, 26/30 shots, 63 rebounds, 21 assists, 5 steals, 10 blocks, 13 turnovers, 23 fouls

Milwaukee Bucks team stats: 32/66 2-pointers, 9/44 3-pointers, 22/32 shots, 70 rebounds, 18 assists, 7 steals, 6 blocks, 14 turnovers, 21 fouls