The Milwaukee Bucks will live to fight another day. The Bucks showed tremendous resiliency towards the endgame to hack out a 92-90 win over the Chicago Bulls in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference First Round matchup on Saturday. The Bucks will look to prolong the series even further when they clash in Game 5 at United Center this coming Monday.
Can the Bucks extend their playoff run? Or will the Bulls end the series once and for all? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this game and while you are at it, you can check out our previews of Atlanta vs. Brooklyn and Portland vs. Memphis.
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Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls Preview
Series Scores & Schedule
Game 1– April 18 – Milwaukee Bucks 91 at Chicago Bulls 103
Game 2 – April 20 – Milwaukee Bucks 82 at Chicago Bulls 91
Game 3 – April 23 – Chicago Bulls 113 at Milwaukee Bucks 106 (2OT)
Game 4 – April 25 – Chicago Bulls 90 at Milwaukee Bucks 92
Game 5 – April 27, 8:00 PM ET, Milwaukee Bucks (+8.5) at Chicago Bulls (-8.5); total: 188.0 – view all NBA lines
Game 6* – April 30, TBD, Chicago Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks
Game 7* – May 2, TBD, Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls
* if necessary
Betting on the Milwaukee Bucks
Jerryd Bayless hit the biggest shot of his career, making a layup at the buzzer to lead Milwaukee to a dramatic two-point victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. It was an improbable victory for the Bucks who won their first playoff game in five years.
[sc:NBA240banner ]Key to Milwaukee’s victory was the excellent play of its bench. The Bucks’ reserves outscored Chicago’s, 47-13, in Game 4. O.J. Mayo had 18 points, four assists and four steals. Jared Dudley scored 13 points while Bayless chipped in 10 markers, none bigger than the shot he made at the end.
Mayo and Dudley were especially deadly from beyond the arc. They combined for 7-of-10 shooting from the three-point line. The Bucks as a team shot 40.9% from the three-point area. That will be crucial for the Bucks moving forward since Chicago is a side that likes to clog the paint with its towering big men. If they can hit their perimeter shots, that will help open up Chicago’s defense.
Milwaukee’s bench can only do so much, though. The onus is on the starters to do their share in Game 5 to keep their playoff hopes alive. Khris Middleton struggled from the field in Game 4, scoring just 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting. He was miserable from deep, going just 1-of-6 from beyond the arc. Ersan Ilyasova also had an off-shooting night, going 3-of-11 from the floor, including 1-of-5 from three-point land.
The Bucks are 3-2 SU and 2-3 ATS in their last five road games.
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Betting on the Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls wasted a grand opportunity to get some much-needed rest before an expected second-round clash with the Cleveland Cavaliers, losing a heart-breaker to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night. They had the chance to finish the series at Bradley Center but Derrick Rose committed a costly turnover with 1.3 seconds remaining that gave Milwaukee the opportunity to steal the win in the end.
It was basically the story of the entire game as the Bulls committed one miscue after another. The Bulls had a total of 28 turnovers, eight of which came from Rose. Rose came crashing back to earth in Game 4, scoring just 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting from the field.
The Bulls still had a chance to win the game, though, thanks in large part to the excellent performance of Jimmy Butler. The former Marquette star had a playoff career-high 33 points on an incredible 12-of-17 shooting in Game 4. He was sizzling from beyond the arc, going 5-of-7 from deep. Butler is having an amazing series, averaging 28.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.8 steals in the four games thus far.
Even with the gut-wrenching loss, the Bulls will still fancy their chances of ending the series in Game 5. The Bulls are undefeated in their last nine games at United Center. They have also gone 7-2 ATS during this stretch. They defeated the Bucks by an average of 10.5 points in their first two meetings at home in this best-of-seven series.
The Bulls are 5-0 SU and ATS in their last five home games with the Bucks.
Writer’s Prediction
Chicago (-8.5) wins, 97-88, to advance to the second round of the playoffs.
