MILWAUKEE — The Chicago Bulls won’t have to wait long to get another chance at the Milwaukee Bucks.
Twenty-four hours after the Bucks handed Chicago a 108-97 loss, the two teams will meet again in Chicago on the back end of a home-and-home series.
Chicago came out flat early against Milwaukee and never led in the contest, though the Bulls did manage a late surge before falling for the second game in a row and fifth time in their past seven.
“I would have hoped we had solved the playing half a game or three quarters of a game,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said after his team gave up 25 points on 17 turnovers and went 5 of 19 from 3-point distance. “We played the fourth quarter the way you have to play the entire game.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker continued their hot streak for Milwaukee on Thursday, combining for 58 points on 24-of-46 shooting in the victory.
They rank first and second in scoring on the team this season. Antetokounmpo, who finished with 30 on Thursday, is averaging 22.3 points, while Parker is adding 19.4 a night. However, coach Jason Kidd says those numbers only tell part of the story.
“If we’re just being judged on points, then they’re playing really well,” Kidd said. “But it’s not all about points. Unfortunately, that’s all you guys write about. It’s a team game, but it comes down to winning and doing your job.”
Kidd was quick to mention that Parker finished with three assists Thursday. The forward is averaging 2.1 helpers per game this season and has been quick to make the extra pass to keep Milwaukee’s offense flowing.
“Sometimes it goes unnoticed that he passes the ball as well as Giannis,” Kidd said.
Stopping those two will be key for the Bulls, who will also need to find a way to limit their turnovers and prevent Milwaukee from enjoying another 11-of-20 showing from beyond the 3-point arc.
“They made eight threes in the first half; that is not on our scouting report for them to make eight threes,” Chicago guard Dwyane Wade said. “Then they also got transition points, so they got everything they wanted early in the first half.
“We are going to have to play better defensively tomorrow against this team.”
Parker especially is looking forward to facing the Bulls. He grew up on the south side of Chicago, not far from the United Center.
“That’s the game I circle on my calendar beyond any other game just because I’m a kid from the city,” Parker said. “I grew up watching them, and that’s something that’s in my pride to try my best against the Bulls.”
The Bucks are again expected to be without swingman Michael Beasley, who sat out the Thursday game due to a sore foot.
With Beasley out, Mirza Teletovic was first off the bench and saw nearly 20 minutes of action. He went 5 of 10 from the field with three 3-pointers and finished with 13 points.
“It shows our depth,” Kidd said. “When somebody is down, somebody else has to step up, and Mirza did that tonight for us. He was big. He had some shots he normally makes that he missed tonight, but we’re going to need that again from him tomorrow night.”
Milwaukee has dropped five consecutive contests at the United Center.
