Bucks beat Chicago 93-86 to grab Game 1

April 17, 2022
|In Bucks
|By Zach Heilprin

Milwaukee grabbed a 1-0 lead in its first-round playoff series against Chicago with a hard-fought 93-86 win on Sunday at Fiserv Forum.

It looked like it was going to be a blowout for the Bucks early as they grabbed a 9-0 lead and led by 13 at the end of the first quarter. But Chicago didn’t go away, trailing by just eight at halftime and taking leads in the third and fourth quarters. It wasn’t until Jrue Holiday hit two free throws with 15.3 seconds left to give Milwaukee a 91-86 lead that the home fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Holiday and Brook Lopez were big down for the Bucks down the stretch. The duo combined for 16 of the team’s final 18 points in the game, while Milwaukee put together some solid defensive possessions and limited the Bulls to just 15 points in the final quarter. For the game, Chicago shot only 32.3% from the field and 18.9% on 3-pointers.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was limited to 34 minutes due to foul trouble but was nearly unstoppable when on the court. He finished with a game-high 27 points, 16 rebounds and three assists. When the two-time MVP was playing, the Bucks were 19 points better than the Bulls.

Lopez ended with 18 points, while Holiday had 15 points, six rebounds and six assists. Bobby Portis gave the team a lift of the bench, scoring 10 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.

It was a tough night for Khris Middleton. The veteran went just 4 for 13 from the field, turned the ball over seven times and had only 11 points.

The Bulls three stars — Nikola Vucevic, DeMar DeRozen and Zach Lavine — combined for 60 of Chicago’s points, but it took them 71 shots (29.6% FGs) to get it.

Milwaukee has now beaten the Bulls 17 of the last 18 times they’ve played and all five meetings this season. Game 2 is set for Wednesday night at Fiserv Forum.