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By Sam Smith | 4.23.2015 | 9:56 p.m. CT
The Bulls Thursday finally pulled away from the Milwaukee Bucks in the second overtime for a 113-106 victory. It gave the Bulls a 3-0 lead in the first round playoff series. No NBA team has come back from trailing 3-0 to win a playoff series. After the Bucks had chances at the end of regulation and the first overtime for winners, the Bulls’ defense locked in and held the Bucks without a score the first four minutes of the overtime while the Bulls scored 12 straight points. The Bulls were led by Derrick Rose with 34 points and Jimmy Butler with 24. Pau Gasol added 17 and Tony Snell had 16. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 25 for the Bucks. The Bulls got off to a fast start in the second overtime with pressure forcing turnovers. First it was Butler with a steal and slam dunk and then Rose pushing the ball at the Bucks after a steal. The Bulls started fast in what became an unusually fast game for these two teams. The Bulls took a 10-4 lead as Rose made a pair of three pointers. But this was a different Bucks team than in Chicago as they were attacking the basket with Antetokounmpo. The Bucks then ran down the Bulls reserves in a 22-4 start to the second quarter behind Antetokounmpo and Jared Dudley. The Bucks were pushing the ball and forcing the Bulls into turnovers and rushed shots as the clock expired. It would result in a 49-31 Bucks lead before Rose returned and the Bulls hit the Bucks with an 18-2 run to get within 53-49 at halftime.
The Bulls regained some control of a thrilling and physical game with Rose pushing the ball and Mike Dunleavy making threes as the Bulls took a 61-57 lead. But the Bulls stalled in their set offense down the stretch of the third quarter and led 74-71 entering the fourth quarter. Rose had 22 points after three quarters and then got the Bulls off to a fast start in the fourth quarter with a pair of pull up jumpers on an 8-2 run to start the quarter. The Bulls then looked like they would put it away with a pair of Tony Snell threes for a 94-84 lead with 2:50 left. But the Bulls lost Khris Middleton for consecutive threes. The Bucks had two chances to close it out with a last shot in the first overtime, but O.J. Mayo missed with neither team scoring in the last 2:31 of the first overtime. Observations: Derrick Rose saved what looked like a sure loss early in the game with the Bulls back in their habit of walking into their offense and shooting late in the clock. Rose’s second quarter return revitalized the offense and finally gave it pace. The Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo surprised the Bulls in the first half with his aggression toward the basket while the Bulls switching on defense had them chasing too much and yielding layups.
Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose continued to stake their claim for being a top backcourt in the NBA with their all around offensive and defensive play and again leading the team in scoring.