Imrem: Exciting game, but Bulls-Bucks series still ho-hum
The Bulls made the game interesting Thursday night, but the Bucks couldn't make the series interesting.
Not that the Bucks didn't try. They took a big lead, gave it away, fell behind by double digits, rallied in regulation and tugged the Bulls into double overtime.
Finally, the Bulls swatted the Bucks away for a 113-106 victory to lead 3-0 in their first-round, best-of-seven, NBA Eastern playoff series at Milwaukee.
"We're playing against a hungry young team," Bulls guard Derrick Rose said. "They're pushing us."
Still, this matchup needed a little excitement, and a Bucks victory might have provided some. Instead, well, it's ho-hum even after two OTs.
Rarely have the Bulls created so little buzz during a postseason. They haven't given the public much reason to realize that the regular season is over.
The competition for attention is formidable in town, starting with the Blackhawks in their own opening-round playoff series against Nashville.
A three-overtime hockey game that takes 101 minutes and ends at 1:20 a.m. is something that will get people talking on social media, along with a competitive series.
Then there is April baseball, of all things, with the Cubs bringing up a phenom of a week. The Cubs have sports fans watching to see what Kris Bryant and Addison Russell might do next.
So where did that leave the Bulls-Bucks series?
Sort of just there. Maybe in the background. More like a band playing a side stage at a music festival.
All along the Bulls were supposed to beat the Bucks because a gourmet chef is supposed to beat a short-order cook in a culinary contest.
Just as the regular season was a waiting game for the playoffs, the first round is a waiting game for the second.
The way the Bulls have played has done little to capture anyone's imagination. They're still trying to find their rhythm with Rose back with his teammates.
"I like the way he's playing," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He's doing a lot of things for us."
Rose compiled 34 points and 8 assists in Game 3, the kind of performance the Bulls will need in the next series.
That'll be when the Bulls' playoffs really start as they collide with the Cavaliers, who Thursday night went up 3-0 against the Celtics.
In the meantime, the Bulls are scrimmaging against them just as the Cavs are against the Celts.
How did the Bulls make Game 3 interesting? They permitted Milwaukee to go on a 22-4 run in the second quarter for a commanding 49-31 lead.
The Bradley Center was energized even though at least one estimate was that Bulls' fans filled half the building.
The Bulls countered with an 18-2 run and went up by 11 points in the fourth quarter. But the Bucks countered with an 11-1 run to send the game into overtime.
Interesting developments, predictable outcome.
The Bulls remembered who they were in the second OT, the Bucks remembered who they were, and that finally settled the issue.
"It's the win that's the most important thing," Thibodeau said.
If the Bulls lost Game 3, maybe the Chicago area would have noticed them and this series. Maybe fans would have glanced away from the Hawks and Cubs.
Now the Bulls can dispose of the Bucks on Saturday and move on to the Cavaliers.
Maybe that'll be enough to create a basketball buzz in town.
mimrem@dailyherald.com