NEWSLETTER
Another Bulls-Bucks game on ESPN?
Color me … nervous.
Game Info
Milwaukee Bucks (48-30) at Chicago Bulls (45-33) ??? 7:00 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago (TV), ESPN, and 670 The Score (Radio)
Projected Starters
Chicago Bulls
1.?? Ayo Dosunmu
2. Alex Caruso
3. DeMar DeRozan
4. Javonte Green
5. Nikola Vucevic
Injury Report: Lonzo Ball OUT (knee), Zach LaVine OUT (knee)
Zach LaVine Expected to Sit Out Tonight???s Meeting With Milwaukeehttps://t.co/S5FG1kuiB6 pic.twitter.com/gBW03H8HLQ
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) April 5, 2022
Milwaukee Bucks
1.?? Jrue Holiday
2. Grayson Allen
3. Khris Middleton
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo
5. Brook Lopez
Injury Report: Giannis Antetokounmpo PROBABLE (knee), DeAndre’ Bembry OUT (knee)
Odds
The Bulls walk into tonight as +6.5 underdogs against the Milwaukee Bucks at PointsBet Illinois Sportsbook and at the FanDuel Illinois Sportsbook.??Click on either link to sign up and pick the Bulls to cover (?????or pick the opposite, I guess ???)!
With no Zach LaVine in the lineup, someone is going to have to pick up the slack on the offensive end, right? You can get Ayo Dosunmu at +420 to score 15+ points over at the FanDuel Illinois Sportsbook.
What to Watch For ???
????? Believe it or not, the closest game the Bulls have played against the Bucks this year came without Zach LaVine. They first faced off in late January while LaVine was on the injury report, and a 35-point outing from DeRozan in a physical affair had the Bulls walk off the floor with only a 4-point loss. I’m not trying to say we should expect the same tonight, but there is at least some level of familiarity in playing this matchup without their second-leading scorer.
????? ??Nikola Vucevic was the only reason the Bulls weren’t blown-out for four full quarters the last time these teams met. He dropped 11 of his team-high 22 points in the first quarter, and he went on to knock down four shots from downtown. With LaVine on the sideline, the Bulls will need an equally strong effort from the big man tonight, especially from behind the arc, where Milwaukee allows the most 3-point shot attempts per game.
????? ??No one is stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo, so the Bulls might as well turn their attention to Jrue Holiday. Putting together one of the best seasons of his career, Holiday has burned the Bulls for at least 26 points in his past two games. The team has struggled mightily to keep him out of the paint, and his relentless dribble penetration has only led to more open kick-out opportunities for his teammates. If the Bulls want any shot at winning tonight and clinching their first playoff series since the 2016-17 season, they simply have to keep Holiday from establishing himself in the paint. And that will be a lot easier said than done with a banged-up Alex Caruso.
????? ??More in here …
One Final Matchup With the Bucks, 3-Point Shooting Woes, Billy Raves About DeMar, and Other Bulls Bulletshttps://t.co/ZkfnueJAxY pic.twitter.com/6QUCGblqu7
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) April 5, 2022
