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Bulls 91-82 victory puts them up 2-0 on Bucks

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Apr 21

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Joakim Noah and Jimmy Butler were stepping down from the post game stage, Butler slick in plaid suit and matching shirt and Noah, well, a bit more casual, though no less secure. They had just concluded with reporters Monday following the Bulls rugged 91-82 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks to give the Bulls a 2-0 lead in this opening round series.

Noah, curls hanging down loosely on his smooth brown sweater, followed Butler, his blue pocket handkerchief matching the blue collar on his white shirt, perhaps different in style and manner though not in effect. Butler had a career playoff high 31 points, 14 in the fourth quarter with a run of artistic dunks and jumpers. Noah fighting and flailing inside had 19 rebounds, 11 in the fourth quarter with a block.

The symbolism in their appearance perhaps suggested the Bulls had the parts to get it done in any number of ways.

“Way to ball, man,” Noah said to Butler as they exited, a playful tap on the chest.

Way to ball, indeed.

Butler was elegant not only in appearance but play in a 14-2 run over four minutes in the fourth quarter that carried the Bulls from a fourth quarter deficit to a physical and imposing victory. It closed out the Bucks’ efforts at an upset with a display of varied excellence that raised further hopes for this Bulls playoff run.

“Just being aggressive,” said Butler, who now has back to back playoff scoring highs in this series after 25 points in Game 1. “Jo and Derrick (Rose with 15 points, nine assists and seven rebounds) were telling me to score the ball. Like literally telling me to shoot and not to pass up any shots. So I was feeling it a little bit. I just put the ball in the basket.’’

Yes, just like that, though much easier said than done in a rough and tumble down game in which there were seven technical fouls and Bucks center Zaza Pachulia ejected for hitting Nikola Mirotic in a fourth quarter loose ball scramble. Mirotic, who had all eight of his points in the second quarter when the Bulls were scuffling, had to leave the game with what the Bulls said was a quad strain. The Bulls said he would be reevaluated Tuesday. Game 3 in Milwaukee is Thursday.

“You’re fighting for everything,” said Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. “Some guys are in there to try and throw you off. You can’t let anything throw you off.”

The Bulls would not, and especially Butler in that vital stretch performance in which after being zero for six on threes through three quarters tied the game at 74 with 9:02 left on a three over a Noah screen. Butler the blew a kiss of relief and thanks to the sky.

It would be just the beginning of heavenly deliverance.

After a pair of Bucks misses, Butler drove and was fouled, making one of two on an unusually poor free throw shooting night for him with eight of 14. The Bulls defense did a good job closing out. And then Tony Snell, who hadn’t attempted a shot, also went over a Noah screen for a three pointer and 78-74 Bulls lead with 7:44 left. Butler, now playing Bucks top scorer Khris Middleton more in an adjustment from Game 1, forced a miss.

The Bucks called a timeout, but it was the Bulls who made the game changing play.

Rose threw to Butler isolating against Middleton on the right wing. Mirotic cleared along the baseline running left and his defender followed, leaving a lane. Butler with an explosive first step went by Middleton and powered in a two handed dunk. Butler was met as he finished by Noah chest bumping Butler, who was fouled by Pachulia. The free throw gave the Bulls an 81-74 lead and finally some space with 7:07 left.

“Those were two big plays,” agreed Noah. “That one dunk Jimmy had was definitely huge. It gave us some confidence as a team. After he did that, he was really feeling himself. And then Snelly hit a big shot in the fourth off the dribble handoff. I’m proud of Snelly.”

The Butler dunk?

“I think everybody was pumped up after that one,” said Noah.

The young Bucks, who had played tough and relentless all game, seemed shaken as the home crowd roared approval. Middleton fired up a wild, long jump shot with Noah closing on him and then rebounding. Rose missed in and out. But after the Bucks missed a Michael Carter-Williams runner, Butler lost O.J. Mayo running baseline and took a laser pass from Rose in the left corner for another three pointer and 84-74 lead. The Bucks got a jumper from Pachulia. But when the Bulls, this time riding the hot hand, went back to Butler and he was fouled, the home crowd began “MVP” chants with Butler on the free throw line, an unofficial NBA record with consecutive game “MVP” chants for different players.

The scoring challenged Bucks would scratch out just two more field goals as Butler added his third three pointer of the fourth quarter and Rose closed out the scoring with a 19 footer and a half dance back to the Bulls bench.

“Huge, huge,” Rose said about Butler as the two combined for 46 points after 48 in Game 1. “It’s always a plus when you’ve got a guy that talented and confident in his game. We’ve seen him put the work in. And he’s out there showing that it’s paying off. If anything, it pushes us as a team to work on our game individually and with everyone doing that it gives us a good chance to win.

It’s also the formula that was mostly in theory that has been working out well in these opening playoff games.

Rose doesn’t have to do everything. And if he has an off game, as he did Monday with a scoreless first half on zero for seven shooting, the Bulls are not lost. It was a poor first half effort, though they led 39-38. But then Rose can be playmaker and hustle his way to seven rebounds, three offensive.

“When you are missing shots, you have to do other things to help the team,” noted Thibodeau. “Whether it’s defense, rebounding or making plays, I thought Derrick did that. Once he got lost in the game and started doing other things and then he found his offensive rhythm. Pau again (with 11 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks), you can’t say enough about the way Pau plays, totally unselfish. He makes winning plays. If you double team him, he will pass the ball out. That’s what you need from him as a primary scorer when the second defender comes, make the right play. His rebounding was off the charts. Jo’s rebounding was terrific, also.”

So this time after 23 points in Game 1, Rose became the handyman. There is Gasol, getting double teamed relentlessly by the Bucks, who’ll never forget that 46-point game he had against them in January. So the outside shots presented themselves better once the Bulls started moving more swiftly in the second half. Mike Dunleavy with 12 points was four of nine on threes. And with Taj Gibson limited by foul trouble, Mirotic filled in nicely. The Bulls also dominated the boards 64-48.

Mirotic also was in the middle of the Bucks’ frustration, which likely will produce a tough stance from the officials in Game 3. There were a pair of mini rhubarbs in the game, the first early in the second quarter when Aaron Brooks attempted to draw a charge at midcourt on Bucks backup center John Henson. Henson ran down Brooks and then hovered over him, which produced a response from Brooks and a bit of pushing and telling, Butler with Mayo, though not holding him, and Noah with Henson.

It was not unexpected as Bucks coach Jason Kidd, known in his playing career for the sneaky elbow, had talked after Game 1 of his team needing to slow the game, play tougher and more physically. It obviously was a signal to take someone down.

It manifested itself in that fourth quarter scramble with the game essentially over, the Bulls ahead 89-80 with 2:48 left.

Mirotic, defending Pachulia, the latter more physical than finesse, was a little loose with a rebound and it got knocked away. Mirotic went to the floor for it and Pachulia jumped on him and added a smash in Mirotic’s face for effect. Mirotic pushed back while both were on the floor, a second skirmish between them in a few minutes as Pachulia earned a technical foul with an elbow to Mirotic’s head on an earlier rebound. Nothing much happens these days in NBA confrontations with severe penalties. But Pachulia was ejected this time for his obvious aggression, the mild mannered Mirotic being held back as he spewed responses in perhaps various languages. Mirotic appeared to suffer the injury in the scramble before they went to the floor, though the indications were it wasn’t serious.

“They tried to give themselves a chance, competing for sure and sometimes they are crossing the line a little bit,” Gasol said of the Bucks. “But that’s why the referees are there to stop it and do their job. It was a great sign from our part of standing up and not taking anything from them. We stood our ground; we competed and never backed down. It wasn’t a pretty game, but we found a way to win. That’s the way it’s going to be. Hopefully it will not be anything serious (for Mirotic). Zaza had a couple of bad plays, not basketball plays. We are going to ready for everything; we understand it’s a critical game (for them). And we’re going to be ready for it.”

The NBA doesn’t like to hear stuff like that.

Crossing the line?

“Certainly [they] tinkered with it,” quipped Dunleavy.

The Bulls could smile afterward, but it was a slog to start, 16-11 Bucks after one quarter, both teams shooting 25 percent or less. And then Dunleavy and Mirotic threes enabled the Bulls to take that meager halftime lead.

After that high scoring first half in Game 1 in the Bulls 103-91 victory, Kidd emphasized the Bucks were a defensive team, that they’d close the interior and challenge the Bulls. They did all that to start, getting up on defense, throwing doubles at Gasol and traps at Rose with their quick and long defenders, and then falling back into the lane to try to deny drives. The Bucks are effective that way, though they lack the offense to complement it as Middleton did have 22 points. Though he was one of six in the fourth against Butler. Carter-Williams with 12 points was the only other Bucks player in double figures.

But the Bulls struggled early as well, Rose zero for seven, though with six assists and five rebounds in the first half.

“It’s always two halves,” noted Rose. “First half, I was missing shots. I was just trying to get everybody into the game. We went up one at halftime. The second half, it’s a different game. It’s kind of like the restart button where you forget about the first half and just go out and play. It was physical. But it was fun. We competed. We’re used to it. The group that’s here, we’ve been together for a long time. We’ve seen a lot of physical play. We’ve seen a lot of defensive strategies and ways that teams try to get us distracted. I think we held our composure. It’s the playoffs. Every game is different. That’s what I love about the playoffs. Even when you don’t get things going, always find a way to change the game or give your team your all. Tonight, it came from me passing the ball and just trying to find people.”

Rose got going in the third quarter with a dozen points and a pair of threes as the Bulls got the Bucks back at their pace, 32-30 for a 71-68 Bulls lead going into the fourth quarter. The Bucks opened the fourth with six straight, but then Butler did it.

“I feel like they tried to get in my head and a lot of my teammates heads,” said Butler. “It’s playoff basketball. That’s what you have to expect. Just forget about it and move on to the next one. I do feel comfortable (on offense). But I think he (Rose) makes it easier because everyone pays attention to him more than they pay attention to me. All I’ve got to do is step up and make shots or get to the cup or get to the free throw line. All because of him and Pau and Jo. I think I have an easy job.”

How important was the stretch from Jimmy? Noah was asked in that post game session.

“Nah, I can’t do that,” Noah said with a laugh. “Nah, he played really well. I know Jimmy is a hard worker, someone that has put in a lot of hard work in his game, and it’s paying off at the most important time of the year. He’s playing great basketball and it’s great to have him as a teammate.”

“Thank you,” said Butler turning to Noah.

“Sure buddy,” responded Noah.

An odd, but vital couple.

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