Very low shooting rates, a lot of turnover and a show that is certainly not in line with previous Sunday matches. The painful victory of the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 against Chicago, 93-86 the final score, gives Mike Budenholzer’s men the all-important 1-0 of the series, respecting the predictions of the eve but showing that there are no matches in the playoffs. easy to read even if you are your favorite reigning super champion. The Bulls have played until the last possession, have overcome many difficulties during the match and can look to their future with greater confidence.
TOO MANY ERRORS
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Milwaukee got off to a good start, finding +16 and demonstrating the awareness that the Bulls seemed unable to react, but all that energy and physical superiority ran out almost immediately. Budenholzer’s team played sub-rhythm in many phases of the game and above all played the ball very badly in the middle of the field (21 innings), showing too superficiality for a game of such importance. With Giannis Antetokounmpo (27 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks) on the pitch, the Bucks controlled the game and dictated the pace. With the Greek out, Chicago was even better, despite terrifying shooting rates.
“Today the whole team was out of sync and we couldn’t find each other easily on the pitch,” Antetokounmpo said after the match. The Greek, on the other hand, was decisive, with a double brace that was reached with 8:30 from the end of the 2nd quarter. “Sometimes you have to win, even if you play badly. You can’t always be beautiful and perfect, ”Budenholzer told the press conference. A concept shared and repeated also by the players. And sure enough, the nice Bucks weren’t quite. They shot badly from three (10/38, 26%), lost a lot of balls, especially in the 4th period, and missed the impossible in terms of readings. Khris Middleton freed (11 points with 4/13 shooting, 7 turnovers) and the always very reliable Jrue Holiday (15 points and 6/16 from the field, 4 turnovers), who seemed a bit out of phase at the end. Fortunately Brook Lopez, key player in this success in Race 1, returned to the rotations for him 18 points with three very heavy baskets in the 4th period and a basic defensive presence. Here it was the defense that somehow balanced all the shortcomings of the Bucks’ performance, but, as Giannis puts it, for better or worse, “a win is a win”.
TO REGRET
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“I don’t know what the hell happened. Maybe it was a week off. I can guarantee you that me, Zach and Vooch won’t be so wrong next time. DeMar DeRozan finished with 6/25 shooting, LaVine with 6/19 and Vučević 9/27, the best of him for quality on both sides of the pitch and attacking impact (24 points and 17 rebounds). The Bulls shot a total of 32% from the field and 18.9% from three points, but still came very close to home. This is due to the fact that the team behaved in the defensive phase with seriousness and great dedication, despite some small empty passes. A symbol of this stoic attitude was Alex Caruso, who gave his best with generosity and a competitive spirit on the Fiserv Forum parquet. Chicago has had terrible percentages, but has also managed to do well at times, particularly in Q2 and Q3, taking advantage of DeRozan and LaVine’s pick-and-roll. The Bulls took a few well-executed games to face these Bucks, but the fact that they didn’t take advantage of this opportunity only adds to the regrets of Coach Donovan’s boys. Such a situation is unlikely to happen again. “Today was a good reaction to how we ended the season,” said Vučević after the match. All true, but this looks very much like a missed opportunity.
THE MATCH
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Milwaukee starts as we all expected, relying on the physical superiority and quality of its defense. Giannis scores a double brace in minutes and the Bucks also scored +16 in the 1st quarter. The Bulls returned patiently in the middle of the 2nd period thanks to a 7-0 run, finishing at -8 at half time (51-43), shooting 31% from the field and 17% from three. Finally a good result. Chicago believes it, making a 13-0 run in the 3rd quarter that gives him an unexpected +5 (69-64), then canceled by the return of Antetokounmpo, who in turn inspires the opposing team of the Bucks. The hosts recover the advantage, 74-71. In the final of the 4th period, with Giannis on the bench for fouls, Milwaukee and Lopez equalized the decisive baskets that sealed the success.
Chicago† Vučević 24 (9/27, 2/10 da tre, 4/5 tl), DeRozan 18, LaVine 18. Rimbalzi: Vučević 17. Assist: DeRozan 6.
April 18, 2022 (change April 18, 2022 | 08:37)
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