BUCKS 104 – BULLS 96
The last time the Bulls and the Bucks played this season, the Bucks were able to erase away a 28 point Bulls lead to come back and win the game. Did that happen again? No, of course not.
It was only a fifteen point lead the Bulls blew this time.
The Bulls jumped out against the Bucks early on, and it looked like they were going to carry over what they did to the Cavliers into this game. The Bulls were up 24-9 when they had their 15 point lead, and that was with four minutes still left in the first quarter.
It was at this point the Bucks started battling back, and by halftime, the lead was cut to just seven points.
However, Brandon Jennings came back out onto the court after halftime and decided to put on an offensive clinic for the lovely fans at the United Center. Jennings scored 20 points in the third quarter alone nearly outscoring the Bulls who only put up a total of 23. Jennings finished the game with 35 points, which is the most he’s ever scored in his career against the Bulls.
Jennings wasn’t the only one causing trouble for the Bulls. On the defensive end of the court, the lead blocker of the NBA, Larry Sanders, decided to block 7 of the Bulls shots. But he wasn’t the only one racking up the blocks. The Bucks combined for 15 total blocks. How many did the Bulls have? Two. Both by Taj Gibson.
Then there was the outside shooting of Mike Dunleavy that really put the nail in the Bulls’ coffin. Every time he got open, he was way open, and thus was able to sink real easy buckets. He went 4-5 from behind the three point arc and finished with 16 points.
Who played well on the Bulls tonight, you may be asking? Well, the same person who has started out 2013 as the best player on the team of course: Carlos Boozer. Another double double for him, making it four games in a row (which is his longest streak in a Bulls uniform) finishing with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Luol Deng also chipped in on the scoring end, finishing with 18 points.
Another injury to Kirk Hinrich (elbow) gave Nate Robinson the start tonight. He doubled his average play time this season, putting in 42 minutes in the game. He was the spark early on in the game and when Tom Thibodeau went to Marquis Teague off the bench, he played like a rookie, forcing Thibs to put Robinson back in and play almost the entire game. He finished with 19 points and 6 assists. He definitely wasn’t playing like a starting point guard tonight, but instead, like the bench scoring guard he is.
So after whomping on the Bucks for so long, and beating them nine games in a row, the Bucks have now beaten the Bulls in their last two matchups. Tom Thibodeau cannot be pleased with that.
The Bulls go up against the Knicks on Friday night in New York next. The Bulls hold the season series lead 2-0.
