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By Sam Smith | 4.30.2015 | 8:39 p.m. CT
The Bulls Thursday moved on to the premier playoff matchup with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 120-66 annihilation of the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bulls were ahead by double digits less than five minutes into the game and steadily and inexorably increased the lead from there to more than 40 points most of the third quarter.
The victory gave the Bulls a 4-2 series victory after the Bulls won the first three games and then saw Milwaukee pull within 3-2. The conference semifinals with the Cavaliers starts Monday in Cleveland.
Mike Dunleavy led the Bulls with 20 points. Pau Gasol had 19 points and eight rebounds. Jimmy Butler had 16, Derrick Rose 15 and Joakim Noah 11 points and 10 rebounds.
It was the fast start the Bulls have been talking about, though no coincidence with aggressive play offensively, pushing the ball and getting up on defense and playing more physically. The Bulls got 13 points from Gasol and eight from Mike Dunleavy in going ahead 28-10 on the way to a 34-16 lead after one quarter. The Bulls kept piling it on in the second quarter with aggressive helping and double teaming defense as the Bucks also began to melt down with a technical for O.J. Mayo for pushing Butler and an ejection for Giannis Antetokounmpo for a body block on Dunleavy shooting a three pointer. Dunleavy had 19 at halftime as the Bulls rolled out to a 47-20 lead to start the second quarter and led 65-33 at halftime.
And it continued into the third quarter, the Bulls running away to an 84-38 lead and the Bucks flailing in frustration with yet another technical foul for a cheap shot. The Bucks began emptying their bench late in the third and had an 8-1 run to head into the fourth quarter with the Bulls leading 91-52.