Preview: Bulls at Bucks

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[April 25, 2015]  The Chicago Bulls are eyeing a sweep when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks in Saturday’s Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first-round series. The Bucks have lost nine consecutive playoff contests and blew an opportunity to make it a series by falling 113-106 in double-overtime on Thursday.

Milwaukee led by as many as 18 points in Game 3 but squandered the lead and later came up empty with chances to win in the final seconds of both regulation and the first overtime. “We had a great chance to win the game twice,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd told reporters. “Effort was there the whole night, and guys played their hearts out to give us a chance to win against a very elite team.” The Chicago backcourt of Derrick Rose (34) and Jimmy Butler (24) combined for 58 points in Game 3 and the Bulls knocked down 14 3-pointers – five from Rose and four apiece from Mike Dunleavy and Tony Snell. Chicago center Joakim Noah is averaging 14 rebounds in the series and power forward Pau Gasol (12.7 points, 14.3 rebounds) has posted three straight double-doubles.

TV: 5:30 p.m. ET, TNT, CSN Chicago, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

ABOUT THE BULLS: The strong play of Rose has been the story of the series as he scored his 34 points in a whopping 48 minutes in Game 3 to provide definitive proof that his knee woes are not an issue. Rose is averaging 24 points and eight assists and Butler has also stood out in each game by averaging 26.7 points in the series. “We have a very strong backcourt right now,” Noah told reporters. “Both (Jimmy) and Derrick, it’s very good and I’m happy to have them as teammates. They’re competing hard and it’s making us that much better.”

ABOUT THE BUCKS: Small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo shot just 25 percent from the field over the first two games before exploding for 25 points and 12 rebounds in Game 3. The 20-year-old nicknamed the “Greek Freak” played 51 minutes in the contest and was much more comfortable with the playoff stage than he was in the first two games of the series. “I was trying to be aggressive and try to make plays for my teammates,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “I talked with my teammates and they told me not to think, don’t take second-guesses on the court because whenever you think on the court, you’re dead.”

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BUZZER BEATERS

1. Dunleavy is 11-of-20 from 3-point range in the series and all his points have come from behind the arc.

2. Milwaukee backup C John Henson had 15 points and 14 rebounds in Game 3 and is 15-for-23 shooting in the series.

3. Chicago F Nikola Mirotic (knee, quadriceps) missed Game 3 and is uncertain for Saturday’s contest.

PREDICTION: Bucks 102, Bulls 94

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