Bulls' Mirotic happy he's able to contribute
MILWAUKEE - Nikola Mirotic was a surprise addition to the Bulls' lineup Saturday. After missing Game 3 with a left-knee injury, the 6-foot-10 rookie logged 20 minutes and scored 5 points in Game 4.
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau put his faith in Mirotic, using him for most of the fourth quarter at small forward. Ultimately, it didn't work, since the Bulls lost 92-90.
"Not bad," Mirotic said when asked how he felt after the game. "Of course, not 100 percent. But for me the most important thing was trying to be here to help the team. I was trying to do my best. I'm just going to try to work on the next game, do better with my defense."
Thibs talks TOs:
Needless to say, the Bulls' 28 turnovers were a popular topic after Game 4.
"We beat ourselves, it's really that simple," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We are going to have to be a lot stronger with the ball. They are coming through us. We are going to have to hold our ground.
"We have to hold our space, we have to tuck it on the catch, we have to run to the pass, and we have to stop dancing with the ball.
"I think the biggest thing was their intensity. … When you are aggressive like that and you are making someone react to you, you have an advantage. We have to make the right play. When we did, we got great shots. When we didn't, we had problems."
Bulls return home:
The Bulls could have ended the series Saturday. Instead, the teams will play a Game 5 on Monday at the United Center at 7 p.m.
"We have to regroup and understand they're going to come out with a little more confidence in Game 5, understand their backs are against the wall," Pau Gasol said. "We should play like we want to win and want to move on to the next round and contend (for a championship)."
"We're still believing," Milwaukee's Jerryd Bayless said. "We're not giving up on this series. We're going to keep going until whatever happens."
Scuffles continue:
This game featured a few more mild skirmishes during the first half, resulting in 2 flagrant fouls and 3 technicals.
The first incident was when Mike Dunleavy somersaulted out of bounds while fighting for a rebound with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Dunleavy and Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams each got technicals for jawing after the play.
Later, Aaron Brooks and Jerryd Bayless had an off-the-ball altercation. Replays showed Brooks striking Bayless in the chest with a forearm and Bayless responded with a shove. Brooks got a flagrant foul and Bayless a technical.
Milwaukee's O.J. Mayo also was given a flagrant foul for bumping Taj Gibson in the air. Gibson hit the floor hard, landing on his backside, but he stayed in the game.
The teams have combined for 10 technical fouls and 3 flagrants in the series.
Bull horns:
The Bucks became just the second team in the last 30 years to record 20 steals in a playoff game. The other time it happened was Philadelphia against Orlando in 1999. Milwaukee has had double-digit steals in all four games of this series. … This victory ended the Bucks' nine-game postseason losing streak. … The Bulls' playoff record for turnovers is 36, set at Portland in 1977.