Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks aim to continue winning streak against Bulls

(Photo by Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports)

The Milwaukee Bucks have won four straight games for the first time since the calendar turned to 2024.

Milwaukee will look to match the season’s second-longest winning streak when they face the Chicago Bulls on Friday night.

The Bucks have won their last three games by an average margin of 23.7 points, including a home-and-home sweep win over the Charlotte Hornets. Milwaukee won 111-99 on the road Thursday, defeating Charlotte by an average margin of 29.3 points and completing a four-game sweep of the season.

The four-game winning streak was the Bucks’ best streak since Doc Rivers took over as coach.

Forward Bobby Portis said Rivers has had a big impact on Milwaukee. Despite a 30-13 record, Milwaukee never really clicked under first-year coach Adrian Griffin, who was fired on Jan. 23.

“Shout out to Doc,” Portis said. “When you have a player who can sit down with everyone and tell all the players what he expects, you can own your role more and move the ball. I think the ball will find the energy if you play, play free, drive, kick, the ball will find it.” It’s just a matter of getting the right guys and everyone lined up and shooting. ”

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting and 10 rebounds on Thursday. Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.8 points and shooting 63.8 percent (37-of-58) from the field during the winning streak.

Malik Beasley made five 3-pointers and scored 19 points for the Bucks. Damian Lillard contributed 17 points and Portis contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Bulls are coming off a three-game homestand. In the first contest on Tuesday, they suffered a very disappointing 105-95 loss to the NBA worst-performing Detroit Pistons. One night later, Chicago bounced back with a thrilling 132-123 double-overtime victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Bulls cleaned up with a 74-39 rebound advantage against Cleveland, including 25 rebounds on the offensive glass. Veteran Andre Drummond had a season-high 26 rebounds, including nine rebounds on the offensive end.

“They don’t make rebounders like ‘Dre’ anymore,” teammate DeMar DeRozan said of Drummond, a 12-year veteran who won four NBA rebounding titles.

“He’s one of those unique players that comes from a traditional school of rebounding. You can see what he’s doing is crazy. We need players almost as good as him, but there’s no one in this league like him. There’s no one like him.” You can rebound with him. ”

The Bulls were certainly pushed to their physical limits in the second end of the back-to-back, as Coby White played 50 minutes and DeRozan played 49 minutes while scoring 35 points. Ayo Dosunmu played 48 minutes and Nikola Vucevic 40 minutes.

DeRozan, 34, is obsessed with playing like an Ironman. He leads the league with an average of 37.9 points per game.

“I love it,” DeRozan told reporters. “When you’re a kid or young, you play until your mom yells and the streetlights come on. It’s the same here. We’re trying to enjoy the opportunity. We’re trying to enjoy the opportunities we have. It’s fun.”

The Bucks have won two of three meetings against the Bulls this season, but Chicago won 120-113 in overtime at home on Nov. 30. Vucevic paced the Bulls with 29 points, while Antetokounmpo scored 26 points for Milwaukee.

–Field level media