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By Sam Smith | 4.27.2015 | 9:39 p.m.
The Milwaukee Bucks, trailing 3-0 in this playoff series and within a few seconds of being swept, Monday shocked the Bulls with a 94-88 victory to move within 3-2 in the first round playoff series. Game 6 in Milwaukee is 6 p.m. Thursday. No team has ever lost an NBA playoff series after leading 3-0. The Bulls were led by Pau Gasol with 25 points and 10 rebounds while Jimmy Butler had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Michael Carter-Williams led Milwaukee with 22 and Khris Middleton had 21. The Bulls shot 34.4 percent and were outrebounded 48-45. The Bulls trailed much of the game, making a bit of a run in the fourth quarter to pull within 86-83. But the young Bucks responded as they did all game with a Carter-Williams drive and John Henson follow slam to hold off the shocked Bulls and stunned home crowd. The Bucks jumped on the Bulls to start with a 9-0 run followed by the Bulls scoring 11 straight in this my turn/your turn series. The Bulls extended that lead to 21-13 behind Butler and Taj Gibson before the Bucks closed the first on a 10-1 run for a 23-22 lead. The game began getting predictably angry with Butler and O.J. Mayo drawing double technical in the second quarter after jawing at one another for much of the first half. The Bulls got a huge second quarter from Joakim Noah, especially on the offensive boards. But the Bucks behind their starting backcourt answered every Bulls run and Milwaukee led 52-49 at halftime. The Bucks continued to apply pressure after halftime and went ahead 67-58 on their perimeter shooting. But the Bulls getting to the free throw line late as the Bucks went into the penalty enabled the Bulls to get within 76-70 heading into the fourth quarter.
Observations: 1. The Bulls could not get either of their backcourt players shooting the ball with the Bucks backcourt taking advantage with attacks on the basket. Both Bucks guards scored more than 20. The Bulls backcourt was 10 of 41. 2. Joakim Noah is the Bulls player more than any who rises to the occasion. He came out in the first half having his best game in weeks with eight points, five rebounds (four offensive), five assists and three blocks in 18 minutes. 3. The Bulls began getting more active with their hands to strip balls as the Bucks had been doing and also adjusted with more ball movement to the weak side and getting big men inside with the Bucks playing small, especially Taj Gibson.