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After such a promising Game 2 performance where they snatched a big win on the road, the Chicago Bulls came out flat in Game 3 on Friday and were absolutely pummeled by the Milwaukee Bucks, losing 111-81 on home court. Boos rained down at the United Center on DeMar DeRozan and Co. for their awful performance, which is certainly the last thing they wanted to hear in the fir playoff game in the Windy City since 2017.
The worst part about this defeat? Well, the Bucks don't have Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo managed to score only 18 points. The Milwaukee supporting cast absolutely cooked the Bulls, along with Chicago's atrocious offensive display.
That being said, here are 3 adjustments the Bulls must make in Game 4.
3 adjustments Bulls must make after Game 3 loss to Bucks
DeRozan and LaVine need to be consistent
The star duo of DeRozan and Zach LaVine was downright poor in Game 1, combining to shoot well under 35% overall. They both played a lot better in Game 2, with DeMar showing out for 41 while LaVine had 20. On Friday though, it was back to another forgettable showing. The Bulls studs combined for just 26 points but the worst part of all, they took just 22 shots from the field in Game 3. Sans Middleton, the Bucks have definitely lost a big part of their squad on both ends of the floor. Yes, they're still stout defensively, but the Bulls need to be a lot more aggressive and find looks. That starts with DeRozan and LaVine. Get your offense going and lead by example.
Get to the line!
The glaring stat from Friday's loss? The Bulls only took 10 free throws and drained just six. This comes back to the likes of DeRozan and LaVine in particular just putting their heads down and driving to the basket. Draw some contact, and make the Bucks work for it. There was honestly no life in Chicago on the offensive end. This is a team that shot a sharp 81% from the charity stripe during the regular season. They typically like getting to the line. In a day and age where the free throw is so frequent because of how many fouls occur in the league, it's frankly unacceptable. Again, the Bulls need to come out with serious aggression in Game 4 and attack the cup.
Contain the Bucks' supporting cast
It's hard to believe the Bucks even won by this much without Giannis going off. But, that in itself is a serious concern for the Bulls. Grayson Allen, the most hated player in the NBA, led Milwaukee with 22 points. Are you serious? He was the only one that posted 20+. If you're going to let the Bucks beat you, at least let it be the Greek Freak. For him to have such a cold night and they still blowout Chicago, it's devastating. The defense was on point in Game 3 but then absolutely disappeared on Friday.
The Bulls also got cooked on the boards, which is not a recipe for success. Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez helped the Bucks outrebound Chicago 55-43 and outscore them 46-30 in the paint. If the Bulls really want this series, they need to show it. The consistency is just not there right now. Milwaukee losing Middleton was supposed to give Billy Donovan's squad a bit of a boost. It didn't. Lock it up defensively and let the Greek Freak beat you because he is truly unstoppable. But damn Grayson Allen can't be one of the main reasons you lose.
