Bulls-Bucks Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Nov 23 2012 12:35PM

A visit to Milwaukee might be exactly what the Chicago Bulls need to end their longest slide in 2 1/2 years.

The Bulls can avoid a fourth consecutive loss Saturday night with a ninth straight win over the Central Division-leading Bucks.

Chicago (5-6) opened its five-game trip with a 112-106 overtime win at Phoenix, but has since dropped three in a row for the first time since a 10-game skid from Feb. 27-March 19, 2010. A 93-89 defeat at Houston on Wednesday dropped the Bulls below .500 for the first time since Nov. 5, 2010, when they were 2-3.

The Bulls have not dropped four straight on the road since a six-game slide Feb. 22-March 17, 2010.

"There are a lot of things we need to do," said forward Luol Deng, who had 19 points and 10 rebounds against the Rockets. "We've just got to put a whole 48 minutes together, just got to stay mentally strong. We've got to get a win and get it rolling again."

Though the Bulls allowed fewer than 100 points for the first time five games, they are yielding an average of 94.1 minus injured star Derrick Rose and with six new players this season. Chicago gave up an NBA-low 88.2 points per contest while going an Eastern Conference-best 50-16 in 2011-12.

"Our defense is not what it used to be," said forward Joakim Noah, who has recorded 31 points in the last three games after scoring 21 against the Suns. "It's not what it was last year, that's for sure. We have to do better. Losing three in a row is unacceptable. We're better than that."

Chicago has been very good lately against the Bucks (6-4), winning the last eight meetings by an average 11.1 points. The Bulls won their fourth straight in Milwaukee when Rose sank a 20-footer at the buzzer for a 106-104 victory March 7.

With Rose still recovering from a torn ACL, the Bulls will need someone else to step up if they are to continue their success in this series. Diminutive reserve guard Nate Robinson could be that person after scoring 39 over the last two games.

Milwaukee returns home - where it's won its last two contests - but is trying to avoid a third straight defeat overall after losing 102-98 at Charlotte on Monday and 113-106 in overtime at Miami on Wednesday. Rookie John Henson had 17 points with 18 rebounds off the bench as Milwaukee overcame an 18-point deficit to force overtime.

"Small margin of error against that team," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "And we still had a shot to win the game. It just didn't go in."

Only 42.2 percent of Milwaukee's 109 shots went in. It was the most attempted by the Bucks since the 116 in a 138-133 overtime win over Golden State on March 8, 2003.

Monta Ellis averages a team-leading 20.2 points but hopes to bounce back after he was held to a season-low nine on 4-of-16 shooting against the Heat. Though Ellis is facing the Bulls for the first as a member of the Bucks, he averaged 27.7 and 49.0 percent shooting in his last seven against them while with Golden State.

Bulls beat Bucks, snap 3-game losing streak

Posted Nov 25 2012 4:04PM

MILWAUKEE (AP) Richard Hamilton and Carlos Boozer were back on the court during the fourth quarter, and it paid off for the Chicago Bulls.

Hamilton scored a season-high 22 points, Boozer had 22 points and 19 rebounds, and the veterans helped the Bulls hold off the Milwaukee Bucks 93-86 to break a three-game losing streak.

The win by the Bulls was the ninth straight over the Bucks and the fifth straight at the Bradley Center. The last time Milwaukee beat Chicago was on April 10, 2010, in Chicago.

"It was nice to be out there and help this team get a win," said Hamilton, who scored 18 in the first half. "It was a lot of fun out there tonight. It was a game we needed to win."

Boozer grabbed eight offensive rebounds to help the Bulls outrebound the Bucks 54-40. He had scored a total of 17 points in his last two games.

"We hung in there tonight and really did a good job in the fourth quarter of getting some stops," he said. "We were hustling tonight and that was the key to getting a lot of our second opportunities."

Boozer has not been on the court lately in the fourth quarter, but said that was OK with him.

"I just go with the flow," he said. "It's his (coach Tom Thibodeau's) show. He runs it."

Despite his team's recent success against the Bucks, Thibodeau said the matchups are always tough games.

"When we play them, these games can go either way," he said. "They're hard-fought and tough. We've been fortunate to come out this way, but they're really good."

For Milwaukee, the loss was the third straight after opening the season by winning six of its first eight games. The team also received a scare when star guard Brandon Jennings went down late in the game with an ankle injury.

Afterward, Jennings said he rolled his ankle and sprained it, but it was not broken. He hopes to play Monday when the Bucks play the Bulls again in Chicago.

"It's really sore," he said as he looked down at the ice bag on his ankle. "It is the same one I had surgery on so I was nervous. But I think everything will be OK."

Jennings led the Bucks with 23 points. He said he was getting frustrated with the fact that the Bucks can't beat the Bulls in recent meetings.

"It seems to always come down to the last few possessions and we just can't get it done," he said. "We have to turn that around on Monday."

The Bucks were just 3 of 17 from 3-point range.

"It was kind of a grind-it-out game and when it really came time to grind it out, they did it to us," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "They got all the boards and pushed us around. They took it from us."

Monta Ellis added 17 points.

Down six midway through the fourth quarter, the Bucks fought back and Ellis hit 16-foot jumper with 5:22 remaining to tie it at 81.

Nate Robinson and Boozer scored to give the Bulls an 85-81 lead with 4:07 remaining. Larry Sanders dunked to cut the lead to two with 3:46 remaining.

Luol Deng tipped in a missed shot, but Mike Dunleavy scored on a layup to cut the score to 87-85 with 1:56 remaining.

Ellis missed an 11-foot jumper with 52 seconds remaining. But Boozer grabbed a missed layup by Joakim Noah and dunked the ball to give the Bulls an 89-85 lead with 29 seconds remaining.

Jennings then lost the ball as he drove to the basket and it was grabbed by Noah. Jennings hurt his ankle on the play. The Bulls hit four free throws down the stretch to close out the game.

Notes: Skiles inserted center Joel Przybilla into the starting lineup for the first time this season. Przybilla, who had not played in seven of the Bucks' first 10 games this season, replaced Samuel Dalembert. Bulls forward Jimmy Butler, who played for Marquette University, received a nice ovation when he entered the game in the second quarter. Butler scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds...The Bulls outscored the Bucks in second-chance points 25-5.

Notebook: Bulls 93, Bucks 86

Rick Braun, for NBA.com
Posted Sun Nov 25, 2012 12:35 AM - Updated Sun Nov 25, 2012 12:35 AM

THE FACTS: Carlos Boozer had 22 points and 19 rebounds, and Richard Hamilton also scored 22 points as the Chicago Bulls dominated down the stretch to pull away from the Milwaukee Bucks 93-86 Saturday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

The Bulls won on the strength of physical dominance down the stretch, outrebounding Milwaukee 54-40 and piling up an 18-point advantage from the free-throw line. Chicago went 25-for-26 to just 7-for-10 for Milwaukee.

Brandon Jennings led the Bucks with 23 points but was carried from the floor with 23 seconds left after rolling his left ankle. Jennings did not put any weight on his left leg as he was helped to the locker room but said the injury was only a sprain.

QUOTABLE: "I've never seen anything like that. It was incredible tonight. There were a certain amount of balls they beat us to, but there were also some that just went right to them. Down the stretch, every one seemed that way to the point where every shot that went up you were like, 'OK, how are they going to get an offensive rebound this time→' They got them every which way."

-- Bucks forward Mike Dunleavy on the Bulls' offensive rebounding

THE STAT: Chicago outrebounded the Bucks 54-40 including 20-10 on the offensive boards. But the real number was the seven offensive rebounds the Bulls claimed in the final 5:01.

TURNING POINT: Beno Udrih's jumper pulled the Bucks within 74-73 with 10:42 left, but the Bucks then went scoreless over the next 3:14, missing five shots. The Bulls didn't exactly pull away at that point, pushing the lead to just 79-73, but when Chicago dominated the offensive boards the final five minutes that dry spell was enough to make the difference.

QUOTABLE II: "I thought he was terrific. He played hard, he really made great effort on the boards, and the rebounding was a huge key."

-- Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau on Boozer's big night

HOT: Hamilton went 10-for-10 on free throws to offset a 6-for-18 night from the floor.

NOT: Dunleavy couldn't get the open shot to fall, going 3-for-9 and 1-for-4 on 3-pointers after entering the game shooting 48.9 percent from the floor and 45.5 percent on 3-pointers. That led to the Bucks making just 3-for-17 3-pointers on the night.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Boozer's 22 points and 19 rebounds included eight on the offensive boards.

GOOD MOVE: Thibodeau used bench players Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson for key stretches in the fourth quarter and they helped limit Milwaukee to 31.8 percent (7-for-22) shooting, including 0-for-5 on 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.

ROOKIE WATCH: After putting up 17 points and 18 rebounds at Miami Wednesday, Bucks forward John Henson only saw 1:18 of playing time despite the Bucks getting hammered on the boards.

NOTABLE: Bucks center Samuel Dalembert was not in the starting lineup and did not play. After the game, Bucks coach Scott Skiles said only "coach's decision." However, one source indicated that Dalembert reported to the BMO Harris Bradley Center late for the game. Dalembert had started the Bucks' first 10 games this season. Also, the game tipped off a half-hour later than the Bucks' first three Saturday night home games. Joel Przybilla started in Dalembert's place. ... The Bulls snapped a three-game losing streak and finished their five-game road trip at 2-3. The Bucks lost their third straight after a 6-2 start. ... Chicago has won the last nine meetings between the two teams. ... Jennings had five steals. He entered the game leading the league with 3.30 steals per game. ... The two teams meet again Monday night in Chicago.

UP NEXT: For the Bulls, Monday vs. Milwaukee, Wednesday vs. Dallas, Saturday vs. Philadelphia. For the Bucks, Monday @ Chicago, Wednesday vs. New York, Friday @ Minnesota.

• Bulls: Rose
• Bucks: Gooden, Mbah a Moute

• Bulls: Robinson
• Bucks: Ellis

• Lead Changes: 11
• Times Tied: 15

• Arena: BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
• Officials: #14 Ed Malloy, #42 Eric Lewis, #75 Eric Dalen
• Attendance: 14812
• Duration: 2:03