Chicago Bulls knock off Milwaukee Bucks 115–106 behind 44 combined points from Mirotic and Dunn

Bulls win eight of last ten games

Chicago came out with energy and effort for 48 minutes, and we just couldn’t match it.”

-Jason Kidd

Jason Kidd has said plenty of cliches and peculiar things as well when explaining Milwaukee’s losses this year, especially the unexpected ones. Giannis Antetokounmpo was cleared for the game and did his customary dominating. The Greek Freak finished with 28 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. The problem that plagued Giannis and the Bucks was turnovers. He was one of four Bucks starters to finish with at least two turnovers, and as a team Milwaukee had 13 more turnovers than Chicago.

The turning point in the game was the success of the bench unit for Chicago. The Bulls are tough to gameplan for because you can’t try to contain one specific scorer to stop the team’s offense. Jerian Grant had nine points and two assists with no turnovers. His steady play has helped he, David Nwaba, Bobby Portis, and Mirotic jell as a unit.

Speaking of Portis and Mirotic, they continued their improbable bond. They combined for 33 points and 16 rebounds, helping establish dominance on the glass. Dunn also had perhaps his best game as a pro, with 20 points, 12 assists, four rebounds, two blocks, and four steals. His productivity was startling, as Dunn has progressed much faster than anyone could’ve guessed.

Chicago beat a much more talented Milwaukee team by holding a +11 advantage on the offensive glass, a +9 advantage in steals, and by playing with great pace (103 field goal attempts to Bucks 83). With Dunn seeming like the “PG of the future” and Lauri Markkanen firmly entrenched as a building block, there is a lot to be excited about despite the Bulls ruining their draft lottery odds so far. Zach LaVine seems eager to get out there with his new teammates. And rumors have persisted that Bulls management plans to move Mirotic despite (because of?) his hot start to the season.

So #BullsNation, be grateful for your 11–22 Chicago Bulls. With the help of Fred Hoiberg they are perfectly straddling the line between tanking and establishing a positive culture. At least he isn’t Jason Kidd, who claimed that perhaps expectations are “a little bit too high” for his team. That’s right, the team with the 23-year old averaging 29.5 points per game thinks expectations might be “too high”….sometimes it’s nice to be a Bulls fan.