Milwaukee @ Chicago preview
United Center
Last Meeting ( Dec 23, 2024 ) Milwaukee 112, Chicago 91
The Chicago Bulls, mired in a three-game losing skid, welcome the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday for the second matchup between the Central Division counterparts in six days.
Milwaukee returns to Chicago for the second time this week, having routed the Bulls 112-91 on Monday despite missing All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton picked up the slack, each posting 21 points with NBA scoring leader Antetokounmpo sidelined with an illness.
Milwaukee was again without Antetokounmpo and Lillard -- the latter having missed the last four games with a calf injury and also dealing with an illness -- in Thursday's 111-105 loss to Brooklyn.
"Ain't no excuses," Bobby Portis said to reporters following Thursday's game. "We lost, they won, we move on Saturday. Get a win, feel good, go into Indiana (and) the new year. That's it."
The Bucks have two more games remaining in this calendar year -- on Saturday at Chicago and Tuesday at Indiana. Through the 2024 portion of their schedule, the Bucks have ridden highs and lows, with a seven-game winning streak from Nov. 18 through Dec. 3, not long after they lost six straight during a 2-8 start.
Antetokounmpo's 32.7 points per game leads the league, and Lillard is averaging 25.7 points and 7.5 assists a contest. However, Milwaukee nears 2025 just three games above .500 and ranked in the middle-to-lower half of the NBA in a variety of team categories. Among them is scoring, with the Bucks averaging 112.5 points per game -- the 16th-highest output in the league, and down 6.5 points from their 2023-24 average.
Milwaukee's scoring defense has improved from a season ago, however, down from a 116.4-point per game yield in 2023-24 to 111.2 in 2024-25.
The Bucks delivered one of their best defensive performances of the season in Monday's win at Chicago, limiting the Bulls to 91 points on 36-of-90 shooting (40 percent) from the floor, including 10-of-48 (20.8 percent) from 3-point range, and forcing 15 turnovers.
Despite its output on Monday, Chicago is averaging 117.7 points per game -- sixth-most in the NBA -- behind leading scorers Zach LaVine (22.3 ppg), Nikola Vucevic (20.7) and Coby White (17.7).
The Bulls' struggles have come on the defensive end as they sit five games below .500 amid their current losing streak. After surrendering 141 points in an eight-point loss at Atlanta on Thursday, Chicago is surrendering the league's second-highest opponent output at 121.8 points per game.
Chicago heads into Saturday's matchup coming off an especially frustrating fourth quarter of defense, when they gave up 50 points in the period to squander a 17-point lead.
"We're going to have to look at that and figure out what we need to do to weather the storm," said LaVine, who scored a season-high 37 points in the loss. "That just can't happen. It's unacceptable."
Some potential good news for the Bulls after the loss is that versatile swingman Josh Giddey, averaging 11.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and a team-high 6.9 assists per game, could be available after missing the last four games with an ankle injury.
"A lot is going to depend on how he responds (after a workout Thursday) and then probably get another one in (on Friday)," Bulls coach Billy Donovan told reporters of Giddey's progress toward a return.
--Field Level Media