Preview: Bulls at Bucks

[December 15, 2016]  The Milwaukee Bucks were on their way up with wins in five of six before hitting a skid and dropping three straight. The Bucks will try to snap the slide when they return home to host the Central Division-rival Chicago Bulls in the opener of a home-and-home set on Thursday.

Milwaukee saw a significant drop in its team defense during the last three games, capped by a 122-100 loss in Toronto on Monday in which the Raptors shot 50.6 percent from the field. "We understand there are peaks and valleys for every season and this is a rough patch," veteran guard Jason Terry told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "But getting out of this rough patch this week is very important. Chicago is a playoff game (Thursday) and we understand that. We'll be focused and we'll be in tune." The Bulls are coming off an emotional 99-94 home loss against former coach Tom Thibodeau and the Minnesota Timberwolves in which Dwyane Wade was ejected with 14.1 seconds left, leading to the clinching free throws. "It was frustration and I told the truth, so I got kicked out," Wade told reporters when asked what led to his two technical fouls with the game in the balance.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT, WGN (Chicago)

ABOUT THE BULLS (13-11): Chicago dropped four of its last six games and is making a brief stop on the road before coming home for three in a row against Milwaukee, Detroit and Washington. All-Star guard Jimmy Butler is doing his part while averaging 25.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists in seven games this month but is not getting enough help from the bench, which did not produce a double-digit scorer in any of the last four games. Doug McDermott's eight points in 27 minutes led the reserves on Tuesday, and he is 1-of-7 from 3-point range in three games since returning from a concussion.

ABOUT THE BUCKS (11-12): Even when Milwaukee loses, small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo comes out of the game looking like a winner. The "Greek Freak," who leads the team in scoring (22.3 points), rebounds (8.9), assists (5.9), steals (two) and blocks (2.04), scored 30 points on 13-of-23 shooting to go with eight rebounds, five assists and no turnovers in Monday's loss. Antetokounmpo averaged 23.3 points on 56.1 percent shooting in four games against Chicago last season, including a career-high 34 points - since matched once this season - in a 102-98 home loss on April 3.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Milwaukee PF Jabari Parker scored 27 points in three of the last four games.

2. Bulls PG Rajon Rondo (ankle) sat out Tuesday and is day-to-day.

3. Chicago took three of the four meetings last season.

PREDICTION: Bucks 109, Bulls 106

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