When the Chicago Bulls played the Milwaukee Bucks on February 4th, it would be their fourth game in five nights. The last time these two teams met, the Bucks kept the game close before falling 107-100. However, the Bulls would jump all over the Bucks in this one, racing out to an early 15-4 lead and never looked back as they cruised to a 113-90 victory, improving to 3-2 on their current nine-game road trip. Here is my spin on why the Bulls were able to take care of business against the Bucks.
Of course you have to start with Derrick Rose. In the previous meeting between these two teams, Brandon Jennings scored 16 points in the opening quarter on his way to 25 points. This time around, Rose would be the aggressor, scoring 13 points in the opening quarter and he finished with 26 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds. Rose got the Bulls' offense going early and then created scoring opportunities for his teammates as the game progressed. This was especially the case with Joakim Noah (14 points, nine rebounds), who had several easy baskets in the paint.
Luol Deng returned to the lineup after missing the last seven games and he had an impact on the game to say the least. Deng scored 13 of his 21 points in the first half and the Bulls' offense flowed almost effortlessly at times with him back in the lineup. The main question with Deng is whether or not he can continue to play with the pain in his left wrist without having surgery. The Bulls are 16-3 with him and were just 4-3 during the seven games he sat out. If surgery does become necessary, he would miss the rest of the season, as the recovery period is three to four months.
Kyle Korver has rediscovered his shooting touch on this road trip and that trend continued against the Bucks. Korver poured in 18 points, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Kyle also pulled in six rebounds, which is impressive because his game usually doesn't include being a presence on the glass.
Overall, the Bulls played solid on both ends of the floor. They made the extra pass on offense, accumulating 31 assists on 48 field goals. From a defensive standpoint, they held the Bucks to 40 percent shooting from the field, while limiting Brandon Jennings to eight points on 4-of-10 shooting.
James Tillman is a resident of the Chicago-land area who has followed the Bulls since the 1987-1988 season. James is also a fan blogger on Yahoo Sports and a sports contributor for Sports Rantz magazine. For interesting discussions about the NFL, NBA and MLB, follow him on Twitter @jtillman9693 or email him @jdtillman3@gmail.com.
Sources:
WGN Channel 9
"Rose puts his stamp on blowout", Mark Potash, Chicago Sun-Times
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