The NBA season’s halfway point is still about a month away, but Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s patience is already wearing thin.
After being knocked out of the NBA in-season tournament in the semifinals, Antetokounmpo and the Bucks will look to bounce back when they face the visiting Chicago Bulls on Monday.
Milwaukee has had three days of rest following a 128-119 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday. Chicago enters Monday’s contest on a four-game winning streak after beating the San Antonio Spurs 121-112 on Friday.
Antetokounmpo had 37 points and 10 rebounds in the Bucks’ loss to Indiana, which scored 37 points in the decisive fourth quarter. The Pacers bench outscored Milwaukee’s reserves 43-13.
Damian Lillard scored 24 points in the loss, while Khris Middleton added 20 and Brook Lopez chipped in 18. While the Bucks had several impressive individual performances against the Pacers, Antetokounmpo said the team’s cohesiveness needs to improve.
Milwaukee has split its first two meetings against Chicago this season, including a 120-113 overtime loss on Nov. 30.
Nikola Vucevic scored a season-high 29 points to lead the Bulls in that meeting.
With guard Zach LaVine out for three to four weeks due to right foot inflammation, the Bulls have received a welcome spark from fourth-year pro Patrick Williams.
Chicago ended a seven-game road losing streak on Friday, when Coby White scored 24 points and Vucevic added 21 points and 16 rebounds against San Antonio. Williams and DeMar DeRozan scored 20 points apiece, and Torrey Craig had 16.
Guard Alex Caruso exited the game in the fourth quarter with a sprained left ankle, but the Bulls were able to hold on for the win.
Williams has averaged 14 points and 6.3 rebounds in his past three games. He turned in a complete effort in the win over San Antonio with six rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block.
