(670 The Score) The Bulls are heavy underdogs against the defending champion Bucks in the first round of the playoffs – and for good reason.
The third-seeded Bucks swept the four-game series from the sixth-seeded Bulls in the regular season, winning by an average of 14.8 points per game.
That included two blowouts late in the campaign, with the Bucks winning by 28 at the United Center on March 22 and by 21 at Fiserv Forum on April 5. When Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo plays, the Bulls haven't beaten the Bucks since Dec. 26, 2017.
With all that in mind, what do the Bulls have to do to be competitive and give themselves a chance against the Bucks? Chicago coach Billy Donovan had a straightforward answer.
"In these situations for the players, regardless of what people are saying about having a chance or no chance or defending champions and maybe the way we've played and some of the results we've had coming out of the All-Star break, I think the players got to focus on what they can control," Donovan said on the Mully & Haugh Show on 670 The Score. "Like, what are the things we have not done well that we clearly can control? I think when you look at some of the games where we were really right there and had some opportunities, one, we did a really good job of defending without fouling. And I think there's been a huge discrepancy at the free-throw line between us and them. That's really, really hurt us. I think the other thing too is we're going to have to, as best we can with our size, is try to neutralize them on the backboard, because of their length and size. But we've got to be able to get back in transition. There's a lot of things I think we can do and we can do better. But it's got to all be based on the things you can control. I think in these situations when you're in the playoffs, you hear this old cliché, 'every possession matters,' you've got to have really five guys on the court connected and really concentrating at a high level. There's got to be great communication."
Game 1 between the Bulls and Bucks will be at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. The game can be heard on 670 The Score, at thescorechicago.com/listen and on the Audacy app.
