Mirotic, Butler, Bulls too strong for Bucks
MILWAUKEE -- Nikola Mirotic scored 28 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 109-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks Sunday afternoon at the Bradley Center.
Mirotic knocked down six 3-pointers and hit 11 of 14 shots to power a Chicago offense that shot 54 percent from the field, made 10 of 21 3-pointers and featured five double-digit scorers.
Jimmy Butler went 8 of 13 to finish with 20 points while adding 14 of the Bulls' 33 assists (on 46 makes).
Robin Lopez and Rajon Rondo each scored 18 points for Chicago (35-39), with the latter adding nine rebounds and nine assists.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee (37-36) with 22 points. Greg Monroe scored 16 and Malcolm Brogdon and Khris Middleton each added 14 for the Bucks, who shot 44 percent.
The victory kept the Bulls' playoff hopes alive. Chicago moved to within a game of eighth-place Miami, which faces Boston later Sunday.
After Antetokounmpo got Milwaukee started with 10 first-quarter points, the Bucks' bench opened the second quarter with a 12-2 run to make it a 43-31 game when Mirza Teletovic drained a 3-pointer with nine minutes left in the half.
That seemed to wake up the Bulls, who cut the deficit to six on a 14-foot jumper from Lopez. Chicago used a 12-3 run of its own and went into the break up, 56-55, on a Lopez layup with 24.9 seconds left.
A Teletovic 3-pointer with 3:25 left in the third gave the Bucks a moment of hope, but Rando hit from the right corner to put the Bulls back up by nine.
Chicago went 14 of 21 from the floor in the quarter and opened the fourth up 12 and a fast break from Butler made it 98-81 with 8:55 to play.
NOTES: The Bucks had won six in a row at the Bradley Center ... Chicago G Jimmy Butler set a new career-high with 14 assists. He is averaging 12.3 over his last three games. ... The loss left Milwaukee tied with Atlanta for fifth in the East. The Hawks hold the tiebreaker, leaving the Bucks with the sixth seed if the playoffs started today. ... Chicago dropped the first three meetings with the Bucks this season but avoided being swept by the Bucks for the first time since the 2000-01 season.