© Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
What we learned from the Milwaukee Bucks' gritty win over the Chicago Bulls
The Milwaukee Bucks gutted out a 133-129 overtime win over the Chicago Bulls in an exciting Central Division battle. The victory was the Bucks’ 11th at home to improve to 16-7 for the season. The Bulls, on the other hand, saw their four-game winning streak come to an end.
Here are a couple of takeaways from the thrilling encounter.
Giannis starts slow, ends strong
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo had a meek start to the game, as he oddly attempted just five shots in the first three-quarters of action, scoring just 12 points at that point. Milwaukee was in trouble as their 14-point lead evaporated in the face of a furious Bulls’ rally. And then, as if right on cue, Giannis flipped the switch.
In the last nine minutes of regulation, the “Greek Freak” was as immaculate as he made all but two of his shots from the field and was even 5-of-6 from the charity stripe. He scored 15 points in that final stretch. Even though the Bucks couldn’t get the job done in regulation, Giannis ensured they would in the extra session, where he added five more points to finish with 32 markers, 12 boards, and six assists.
After the game, Bucks coach Adrian Griffin lauded Giannis’ unselfishness for most of the game and assertiveness when Milwaukee needed him to take charge.
“He was playing a great game. He was moving the ball, sharing the ball, making the right play. He’s a veteran, and he knows when to assert himself. In the second half, I thought he did a great job,” Griffin said.
Quiet night for Lillard
In contrast, Dame was muted for most of the game as the All-Star guard missed all but three of his 17 attempts on Monday night. However, he made up for his misfires by racking up nine assists.
Lillard was uncharacteristically shaky in crunch time as he missed the second of two free throws with 12 seconds left in the fourth to give the Bucks a 118-116 lead. The Bulls eventually tied the game at 118-all, courtesy of a DeMar DeRozan basket, to send the game to overtime.
In overtime, Damian had a dunk and later made two from the charity stripe to seal the victory.
