Bulls at Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks have their fans chanting "Fear the Deer" as they try for their sixth victory in seven games when they host the struggling Chicago Bulls on Sunday. Milwaukee moved into a tie for fifth place with Atlanta in the Eastern Conference - one game clear of No. 7 Indiana and 3 1/2 ahead of ninth-place Chicago and Detroit - after a 100-97 victory over the Hawks on Friday behind another monster performance from 22-year-old All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bulls fell to 3-9 in their last 12 contests after a 117-107 loss to Philadelphia on Friday and are 1 1/2 games behind eight-place Miami and 2 1/2 back of Indiana. "For us to come out and play with that type of effort at this time of year is maddening," Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters after Friday's game. "We finally showed some fight in the last quarter, but it was way too late." The Bucks won all three of the first four meetings with the Bulls this season in a 17-day stretch in December by an average of 19 points, holding Chicago to a season-low 69 points in one of them. Antetokounmpo was a major factor in all three games, averaging 29 points, 10 rebounds and 7.3 assists to raise his career numbers versus the Bulls to 15.5, 6.4 and 4.1 in 15 contests (11 starts).
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
ABOUT THE BULLS (34-39): Jimmy Butler (23.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists) scored 36 points Friday and is averaging 33.7 points in Chicago's last three losses. Second-year player Bobby Portis (6.4 points, 4.3 rebounds) exploded for 17 points and 11 rebounds Friday for his second double-double of the season. Rookie Denzel Valentine (5.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists) more than doubled his scoring, rebounding and assist averages since the All-Star break while his minutes increased from 12.5 to 24.8 per game, and is averaging 9.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in his last eight contests.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (37-35): Antetokounmpo averages 23.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists after recording 34, 13 and five Friday while adding three blocks for his second straight double-double, shooting 25-for-44 in those games. Malcolm Brogdon (10.1 points, NBA rookie-high 4.1 assists) continued his strong debut season with 14 points and seven assists Friday while his 3-point field goal percentage (40.2) is second among first-year players. John Henson will miss his second straight game Sunday after spraining his left thumb during Tuesday's 93-90 victory in Portland and could miss a week.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Antetokounmpo is trying to become the first player in NBA history to finish in the top 20 in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. He was tied for 25th in assists through Friday's games and would join Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Kevin Garnett as the only players in history to finish in the top 25 in those categories.
2. Chicago, which entered Saturday's games leading the NBA with 12.4 offensive rebounds per game, permitted 10 or more offensive boards in 12 straight games. Milwaukee was tied for 23rd with 9.1 offensive rebounds per game.
3. The Bulls won 28 of the last 40 meetings since the series was tied at 98 in 2006-07.