|
 "The instant pain hurt pretty bad," Carter-Williams said, "but I was
able to get up."
The Bulls were unable to keep him down.
Carter-Williams returned from a third-quarter injury to compile 22
points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and the Bucks held on for a
94-88 win over the Bulls in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference
quarterfinal playoff series.
The Bucks staved off elimination and trimmed the deficit to 3-2 in
the best-of-seven series. Game 6 is set for Thursday night in
Milwaukee.
Forward Pau Gasol scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead
the Bulls. Guard Jimmy Butler added 20 points and 10 rebounds for
Chicago, which trailed for the entire second half.
"I've never been in a position where you were up 3-0, and then all
of a sudden it's 3-2," Gasol said. "When you have opportunities to
close out a series and put a team away, you've got to take advantage
of it. We haven't done that yet. It's a test for us to see how we're
going to handle this."
Meanwhile, the upstart Bucks continued to gain confidence after
posting back-to-back playoff wins. Milwaukee snapped a five-game
losing streak at the United Center.
Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd said he told his team that he wanted an
attacking offense and a swarming defense. The Bucks responded by
tallying a 46-36 advantage in points in the paint and earning a 16-7
edge in fastbreak points.
Guard Khris Middleton contributed 21 points for Milwaukee.
Twenty-year-old forward Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 11 points and
blocked four shots.
"For us, it's not about the future," Kidd said. "It's about now. How
do we get better each time we take the floor? As a team, we're not
built around one guy or two guys. We're built as a team, and that's
kind of special to see this group really believe in it."
Chicago struggled to find an offensive rhythm against the length and
athleticism of Milwaukee's defenders. The Bulls shot 34.4 percent
(31-for-90) from the field, including 18.2 percent (4-for-22) from
beyond the arc.
"It's a make-or-miss league," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "When
you don't make, it's not going to look good."
Bulls guard Derrick Rose scored 13 points on 5-for-20 shooting. He
also committed a game-high six turnovers, which followed an
eight-turnover performance in Game 4.
"He has missed a lot of time," Thibodeau said. "There are going to
be some bumps, but he has always bounced back."
Milwaukee shot 42.4 percent (36-for-85) from the field.
In the fourth quarter, the Bulls narrowed the deficit to 86-83 with
4:45 remaining after back-to-back jump shots by Rose and Gasol.
Milwaukee responded with a jump shot by Carter-Williams and a slam
dunk by forward John Henson to re-establish a seven-point lead.
[to top of second column] |
The Bucks entered the fourth quarter with a 76-70 lead. Milwaukee
sustained an injury scare when Carter-Williams landed awkwardly on
his right ankle with 8:19 remaining in the third quarter. The point
guard walked to the training room under his own power and returned
to the game with 2:54 remaining in the third.
Carter-Williams and Middleton combined for 29 points in the first
half to help the Bucks grab a 52-49 lead at the break. Emotions ran
high midway through the second quarter as Butler and Bucks guard
O.J. Mayo exchanged words. Both were whistled for technical fouls
with 6:18 to go in the first half.
Milwaukee led 23-22 after a back-and-forth first quarter that
featured several lengthy scoring runs. The Bucks seized a 9-0 lead
to open the game as the Bulls missed their first eight field-goal
attempts. Chicago recovered with an 11-0 run that included a
scooping layup by Rose as he cut across the lane.
Carter-Williams said he was eager to head north to Milwaukee for
Game 6.
"I can't wait," Carter-Williams said. "I know Milwaukee's going to
come out and be ready for us. As long as they're bringing it, we're
bringing it."
NOTES: Bulls F Nikola Mirotic appeared in his second consecutive
game off the bench after a knee injury sidelined him for Game 3.
Mirotic, 24, did not miss a game during the regular season. ...
Bulls C Joakim Noah said he felt badly for Cleveland F Kevin Love,
who was ruled out for the second round of the playoffs because of a
dislocated shoulder. "Unfortunate," Noah said. "Very unfortunate.
You don't want anybody getting hurt." ... Milwaukee coach Jason Kidd
said the series featured a physical tone without becoming personal.
"I wouldn't say tempers are flaring," Kidd said. "It's just that
everybody is competing to find a way to win."
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
