Bulls admit they were lucky to pull off double-OT win
MILWAUKEE - The Bulls showed up for this game well after it started, fighting a severe case of bed head and apologizing profusely for their alarm clock not going off.
At least, that's how it seemed after the Bulls watched passively as Milwaukee built an 18-point lead in the second quarter. The Bulls rallied quickly, but almost slumbered their way to a stunning loss.
After erasing the 18-point deficit, the Bulls squandered a 10-point lead in the final 2:50 of regulation. They had to expend unnecessary energy, but finally came away with a 113-106 victory in double overtime at the Bradley Center.
"I guess I'd classify it as a weird game," Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy said. "We were lucky to win, but there's no way we should have lost. It just seemed like we had the game in tow, in check and let them creep back in. Those guys hung in there and made some plays. Give them credit."
By the time this one was over, it felt like a bad dream, but the Bulls were able to open a 3-0 series lead. They can complete a sweep by winning Game 4 on Saturday in Milwaukee. Cleveland, their probable second-round opponent, took a 3-0 lead over Boston on Thursday.
The star of the game was none other than Derrick Rose, who buried 5 baskets from 3-point range and finished with 34 points. Jimmy Butler added 24 points.
"That theory on me being all the way back, I can't think about that," Rose said. "Every game is going to be different. All I can do is prepare myself for every game, go out there and have confidence and believe in myself and believe in my craft. It's the playoffs, you have to love it."
When the Bulls fell behind 49-31, they scored just 4 points in the second quarter until Pau Gasol hit a pair of free throws free throws with 4:03 left. That's precisely when the Bulls popped out of bed and hit 7 straight shots, unleashing a rapid-fire 18-2 run over a span of three minutes.
In the third quarter, the Bulls added an 8-0 run that consisted of a Mike Dunleavy 3-pointer, a Rose runner and Rose 3-pointer.
This one was all but over when Tony Snell's 3-pointer gave the Bulls a 94-84 lead with 2:50 remaining. But one team hit the snooze button one too many times.
While the Bulls failed to score on their next seven possessions, Milwaukee's Khris Middleton canned consecutive 3-pointers to bring the Bucks within 2. John Henson missed a free throw that could have tied it, but the Bucks came right back and took a 96-95 lead with 10 seconds left on Middleton's 14-foot jumper.
The Bulls were out of timeouts, so Rose took off toward the basket and drew a foul. The second of 2 free throws with 4.9 seconds on the clock rattled down the rim and the game headed to overtime.
"We're playing against a hungry young team," Rose said. "They're pushing us. They're forcing us to play."
The Bulls took three 2-point leads in the first overtime, but never added a cushion. O.J. Mayo hit a jumper to tie the score at 101-101 and neither team scored over the final 2:28.
Finally at full alert, the Bulls opened the second overtime with a steal and slam by Butler. They eventually scored the first 12 points of the second OT, 6 of those by Rose.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 25 points.
The Bradley Center was full, with close to an even split of Bulls and Bucks fans. That set up a nice atmosphere, with a large portion of fans cheering or jeering every big play.
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3 keys to the game
1. Rose in bloom: Derrick Rose put on a nice show for the many Bulls fans who made the trip, scoring a game-high 34 points.
2. Sorry start: The Bulls continued their bad habit of running hot and cold. They trailed by 18 points in the second quarter, then gave up a 10-point lead in the fourth.
3. Defense when it counts: Milwaukee had chances to win the game at the end of the fourth quarter and first overtime, but the Bulls' defense came through with stops.
- Mike McGraw