Giannis Antetokounmpo showcased his brilliance with 35 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Milwaukee Bucks (6-4) to a 118-109 victory over the Chicago Bulls (4-7) on Monday night.
Despite Damian Lillard’s return to action after a calf injury, the star guard struggled, shooting just 3 of 17 and contributing 12 points, as the Bucks lost both games played without him.
In a double-double performance, Bobby Portis had 19 points and 10 rebounds, both season highs, adding significant support to the Bucks’ triumph.
Khris Middleton’s 13 points propelled him past Michael Redd for fifth place on the Bucks’ career scoring list, with a total of 11,559 points since joining the team in 2013.
The Bulls, playing on the second night of a back-to-back, couldn’t overcome Milwaukee’s early dominance, missing 16 of their first 19 field-goal attempts.
Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls with 26 points and 12 rebounds, while Zach LaVine scored 20, Coby White had 16, and DeMar DeRozan struggled, shooting just 3 of 14.
Despite a brief lead change in the third quarter, Milwaukee secured the win with a 12-0 run that reestablished a double-digit advantage.
The Bucks maintained control in the fourth quarter, preventing the Bulls from narrowing the gap below eight points.
Chicago, missing Alex Caruso due to a toe injury, shot just 38%, while Milwaukee played its first game without Jae Crowder, scheduled for surgery, leaving him unavailable for about two months.
