Preview: Bulls at Bucks

[April 23, 2015]  Jimmy Butler is terrorizing Milwaukee and looks for a third consecutive strong game when the Chicago Bulls visit the Bucks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first-round series on Thursday. Butler is averaging 28 points while lifting Chicago to a 2-0 lead and he set a personal playoff high with 31 points in Monday’s 91-82 win.

Butler was at his best in the fourth quarter of Monday’s game as he scored 14 points in the final stanza. Milwaukee knows it faces a near must-win situation but remains confident it can get back into the series. “We lose these two but we are going to fight to get his series back,” shooting guard Khris Middleton told reporters. “We are going to defend our home court Thursday.” Middleton averaged 20 points in the first two games but the Bucks averaged just 86.5 as a team.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), CSN Chicago
 

ABOUT THE BULLS: Derrick Rose played 38 minutes in Game 2 – his most since returning from knee surgery – and said he didn’t experience any next-day soreness. “I feel good,” Rose told reporters. “Real confident in my body and how hard I worked to get back there. I feel great. As far as like playing those type of minutes every game, we’ll have to see.” Not feeling anywhere near as good is reserve forward Nikola Mirotic, who could miss Game 3 after suffering knee and quadriceps injuries during Game 2.

ABOUT THE BUCKS: Milwaukee shot a combined 37.4 percent from the field over the first two games with small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (25 percent) and backup shooting guard O.J. Mayo (23.5) being the biggest culprits. Getting the ball into scoring position also must improve as the Bucks had just 13 assists in Game 2, their fewest of the entire season. “Thirteen assists, that’s terrible for our team,” Milwaukee center Zaza Pachulia told reporters. “Especially the way we played all season. You have to give them credit, they’re a good defensive team.”

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Milwaukee has lost eight straight playoff games since posting a win over the Atlanta Hawks on April 28, 2010.

2. Bucks PG Michael Carter-Williams has just five assists in the series while going 9-of-25 from the field.

3. Chicago PG Kirk Hinrich (knee) could play for the first time in the series.

PREDICTION: Bucks 94, Bulls 92

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