The Milwaukee Bucks dominate the Chicago Bulls to end the series by hosting a second-round tie against the Boston Celtics
MILWAUKI -- The Bucks lost forward Chris Middleton to an MCL injury and responded with three straight wins over the Chicago Bulls. On Wednesday, they advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs with a 116-100 win in Game 5.
Bucks against Celtics in second round; The first game is scheduled for Sunday in Boston.
After splitting the first two games of the series, Milwaukee cemented their dominance over Chicago. The Bucks have kept the Bulls under 100 in three of their five games and have won each of the last three by double digits.
Janis Adetokunmpo scored a record 33 points with 11 of 15 shooting and added nine rebounds in the final draw.
"After Game 2, the team knows what the deal is," Adetokunmpo said of ending the series without Middleton. "We know what we have to do. We must despair. We have to go out there and compete at a high level. Pay attention to as much detail as possible. Help each other in defense. We have to do it as a team. This is not a one-man show or a two-person show.
Now we are going to another draw, we are playing with another team, a very, very good team and we hope to do it again."
The Bucks have stepped up their defense to make up for the absence of Middleton, who sprained the MCL in his left knee in the fourth quarter of Game 2, and they will start without one of their best players at least early in the next round.
The team's original schedule for Middleton will be reviewed in two weeks, i.e. next Wednesday after Games 1 and 2. Coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed after Game 5 that Milwaukee will start their next draw without Middleton.
"We're talking about the depth of the roster, the quality of the roster this season," said Budenholzer, who improved to 8-0 in his last game against the Bucks. "Other players had chances and played well. Our defenses are tightened. We relied on that a lot in those three games.
"We miss Kris. I don't think anyone underestimated how important and effective he was to us. Even if we didn't have him, we would have to be the best on the list."
The Bucks have had success in the last two postseasons, playing without one of their key players. They are 5-0 without any of their top three - Adetokunmpo, Middleton and Jrou Holiday - including two Eastern Conference Finals wins against the Atlanta Hawks last season while Adetokunmpo is recovering from a knee injury.
When Bulls security guard Zack Lavigne (health and safety record) and Alex Caruso (concussion record) were both sent off on Wednesday, the Bucks managed to land Bulls star Demar DeRozan, who was capped on 11 points on 5 of 10 shots.
All 10 of DeRosan's field trials have been denied and he has been team doubles in Game 5 27 times, the most doubles player in a playoff game in the last three seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He has faced 24 doubles teams in the last four matches.
"We threw everything at him," Budenholzer said. "He's a very good player in the season he's had. The scoring ability, the ability to get to the free-throw line, he's phenomenal. He sees a lot of people in front of him, around him, usually all the time.”
DeRosan did his best to get his team-mates on the counter-attack, but the Bulls struggled to get enough open shots. Chicago just fired 7-for-25 (3-for-18 in 3 seconds) from DeRozan's pass. Overall, the Bulls knocked down just 15 of 52 3 points on Wednesday.
"You have to give them credit," DeRosan said. "I expected it but I didn't want to get carried away and try to go out and shoot 30 times. I trust my boys. I don't care how many shots they miss. Whenever I feel I have the right pass, I try to play the right game. I'll live and die with the ones who take the hit and miss Give the Bucks credit on defense, they locked in and took what they had to take.