Can the Chicago Bulls pull off the upset over the Milwaukee Bucks?

Why the Chicago Bulls can’t pull off an upset over the Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks have certainly yet to play their best basketball in this series. Despite some Giannis heroics, they were unable to secure a win Wednesday on their home floor. Now, with the series knotted at 1-1, they set their sights on winning big in Chicago Friday night. Despite some of their struggles, there is still a lot of reason to be confident in the Bucks in this series.

Chicago faces a major problem in the form of Giannis Antetokounmpo (more than most teams, even). The Bulls have thrown a number of defenders at Giannis, and they have effectively kept him out of the paint or off of the glass.

In a move that is still very confusing to me, Giannis did not check back into the game until 7:15 left in the fourth quarter on Wednesday. Once checked in, he played incredibly well and got layups with virtually no resistance. However, with just over half the quarter left to save the Bucks, it wasn’t enough.

Moving forward, I anticipate coach Budenholzer to adjust his rotations to allow Giannis to record more minutes in the fourth, especially if Khris Middleton misses the next few games. If given more time, I can easily see Giannis bulldozing Chicago in the fourth quarter going forward.

Thus far in the series, the Bucks’ usual shooters have been struggling as well. It could be a shooting slump or the Bulls’ defense, but eventually, water tends to find its level. If shooters like Pat Connaughton, Grayson Allen, and Wesley Matthews find their stroke, the Bulls could be in some serious trouble.

While the loss of Khris Middleton is very significant, the Bucks still have the by and large best player in the series, and it seems like a matter of time before Giannis takes hold of the series on both ends of the floor.

The Bucks played poorly in Game 2, lost two important players due to injuries, made coaching mistakes, and more. Despite all of this, however, they only lost by four, and if only they were able to secure a rebound late in the game, they easily could have won.

Frankly, this worries me if I’m a Bulls fan. There is no guarantee DeMar DeRozan will be able to turn in three more 40+ point games, and I would be shocked if the Bucks continue to shoot as poorly as they have thus far.

The Bulls have proved to be a worthy opponent, and they will certainly continue to fight each game. However, when it comes to their chances to beat the Bucks in the series, I’m skeptical.

Given all the information I have, my official prediction is a Bucks series victory in six games.