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The Chicago Bulls left the Fiserv Forum with a 114-110 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 2 of their NBA Playoff first-round series. While the Bucks can surely bounce back from a close loss such as that one, it may be far more difficult for the team to recover from another blow they sustained on Wednesday night. All-Star forward Khris Middleton slipped on the court and suffered an MCL sprain in his left knee. The severity of the injury will be determined on Thursday, though it's very possible that the Bucks will be without Middleton for the remainder of the series against the Bulls, which could be a huge break for Chicago. In fact, the Bulls can upset the Bucks in their first round series for several reasons. Here's why.
3 Reasons Bulls Can Upset Bucks After Khris Middleton Injury
3. Losing Khris Middleton would be devastating
Not only is Middleton, who posted a 96.7 defensive rating in the regular season, one of the best defenders on the team, he is also one of their most important offensive players. Giannis Antetokounmpo, for all his dominance, is not a consistent threat from beyond the three-point line. Middleton, who has shot a combined 39.9 percent from deep on 5.9 attempts per game in each of the last three seasons combined, has emerged as one of the more deadly three-point shooters in the NBA. Middleton also became someone the Bucks could really count on in the fourth quarter during their NBA Finals run last year. With Middleton's valuable defense potentially out of the picture, more offensive looks could be on the way for the likes of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. That's especially good news for DeRozan, who exploded for 41 points in Game 2.
2. The series is shifting to Chicago
The 2021-22 Bulls finished the regular season with a 46-36 record, though it was a bit deceptive. Chicago was very mediocre on the road, posting a 19-22 record. At home, the Bulls were one of the better teams in the league, as they finished with a 27-14 record when playing in front of the home fans at the United Center, tied for the third-best mark in the Eastern Conference. Chicago has averaged 114.2 points per game at home compared to 109.0 on the road. They are, simply put, a different team at the United Center- and one that is heading back home with some momentum. With the series tied at one game apiece and the next two games set to be played in Chicago, the Bulls are poised to seize control against Milwaukee.
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1. DeMar DeRozan bounced back in a big way
In Game 1, DeMar DeRozan looked far from the MVP candidate he looked like at one point this season. The Bulls star scored 18 points while shooting 6-for-25 from the field. The ghastly shooting performance prompted DeRozan to say there was “no way in hell” that he shot at such a low clip again. After Wednesday night, DeRozan looks like a prophet. He scored a playoff career-high 41 points in Game 2- 13 of which came on mid-range jumpers- while shooting 16 of 31 from the field and knocking down all nine free throws. DeRozan, who was one of the best players in the clutch this season, scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to help close Milwaukee out. DeRozan is officially back on track- and that could be bad news for the Bucks.
