Making It Easy for Bucks

First, I want to apologize for not blogging in over a week.  A crazy work schedule coinciding with every game since last Sunday has prevented me from watching closely.  Hopefully, I'll have more consistency going forward.  Now to business.

The Bulls looked like they were going to roll over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday when they came storming out of the gate and went up by as much as 11 in the first quarter.  Then, the Bucks showed how their young, athletic roster can break out at anytime, like in Golden State's first loss.  They climbed all the way back and the teams traded runs for the rest of the game.  Unfortunately, the Bulls went cold at the end, making only two field goals in the final four minutes of a 106-101 loss.

All five Bucks starters scored in double figures, led by the crazily athletic Giannis Antetokounmpo with 29 points.  As a team, Milwaukee committed just five turnovers to the Bulls' 17 and held a 30-6 advantage in points off turnovers.  They also penetrated regularly and successfully, winning the battles for points in the paint 62-32 and fast break points 17-4.  That can happen when you're not ready for a fast lineup that includes Jabari Parker, Michael Carter-Williams and O.J. Mayo.

Jimmy Butler, who later admitted to tweaking his ankle, led all scorers with 30 points in 40 minutes.  Tony Snell and Nikola Mirotic had up nights with their inconsistent seasons by scoring 17 apiece.  Pau Gasol achieved his latest double-double of 10 and 14.  Derrick Rose sat out most of the second half with left patella tendinitis, but assured it was purely a precautionary move and he won't need an MRI.

A frustrating season continues as a three-game losing streak has followed a six-game winning streak.  Such is the case with a team that can't seem to establish an identity.  My co-worker Luis Medina expressed his belief to me recently that the Bulls aren't as good as their last roll, but not as bad as their drought from a month ago.  Draw whatever conclusions you want, but it's hard to argue with that.

Stacey King bashed the Bulls on the broadcast for not valuing possessions or taking care of the basketball.  They should have learned you can't act this way already and in this game, the Bucks showed it can really hurt when you do it against a team like them.  And just consider how far back they are in the standings.  It's the latest example of the Bulls letting a lesser team play their style instead of making them catch up to your tempo.

We're approaching the halfway point and while the Bulls are 22-15, these inconsistency and unknown identity discussions just won't go away.  If they really are the only team that can really challenge Cleveland for East supremacy, it's not saying much.  They're just begging for LeBron James to take them out in four or five games if someone else doesn't eliminate them in an earlier round.  But please, tell me again how Fred Hoiberg is better equipped to challenge that sentiment than Tom Thibodeau.

The Bulls return to action Thursday night, but not on TNT.  That's what happens when you travel to face the Philadelphia 76ers.  The good news is they've won eight in a row in this series and the 76ers are still not any good.  What could possibly go wrong?