Preview: Chicago Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks - prediction, team news, form guide

The Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks volition renew hostilities with a 2nd gathering successful the abstraction of 5 days astatine the United Center connected Sunday morning.
 
Avoiding a 4th decision connected the bounce volition beryllium the large people for the location broadside here, portion the distant broadside volition beryllium looking to instrumentality to winning ways having seen their two-game winning streak snapped past clip out.

Match preview

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A week connected since beating the Boston Celtics 117-108 successful their past outing connected the road, the Chicago Bulls suffered a disappointing 141-133 decision to the Atlanta Hawks successful Friday's brushwood astatine the State Farm Arena.
 
Excellent enactment from Billy Donovan's men implicit the archetypal 3 quarters saw them caput into the last 12 minutes with a 17-point vantage earlier suffering 1 of the top collapses successful NBA history, losing the 4th fourth 50-25 aft giving up 20 unreplied points.
 
Despite the defeat, Zach LaVine and Jevon Carter some recorded their play highs for points, scoring 37 and 26 respectively, connected a combined 23-40 shooting, including 14-20 from beyond the three-point arc.
 
Suffering 3 consecutive defeats for the archetypal clip since aboriginal November, the Bulls are present 3-3 implicit their past six games, and immoderate momentum from their stunning triumph implicit the Celtics has been extinguished.
 
However, they proceed to clasp connected to the last play-in spot successful the Eastern Conference standings, albeit having played much games than 4 of the 5 teams beneath them up of this weekend's affair.
 
Sunday's hosts person been beaten successful 4 of their astir caller 5 matches against the visitors, either broadside of a 133-122 triumph successful January, which remains their lone competitory triumph successful this fixture successful conscionable implicit a year.

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Since winning the NBA Cup, the Milwaukee Bucks person blown blistery and cold, having won 2 and mislaid 2 of their consequent 4 matches pursuing Friday's 111-105 decision to the Brooklyn Nets astatine the Fiserv Forum.
 
Largely handicapped by the lack of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Doc Rivers's men held a six-point pb aft the archetypal 36 minutes of enactment earlier relinquishing their vantage successful the last quarter.
 
Khris Middleton tallied consecutive 20-point games for the archetypal clip since returning to action, portion Brook Lopez besides scored 20 points for the 2nd consecutive crippled to spell alongside 7 rebounds and 2 blocks, which person moved him up into 20th successful the all-time charts for rejections.
 
While the Bucks stay 5th successful the East, they present person small breathing abstraction with sixth-place Miami Heat successful blistery pursuit aft their 89-88 triumph implicit the Orlando Magic successful Friday's hard-fought clash past clip out.
 
In the archetypal of 2 distant matches to adjacent retired 2024, Sunday's visitors volition beryllium keen to get themselves backmost connected way earlier heading to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse to look disconnected against the Indiana Pacers connected New Year's Eve.

Chicago Bulls NBA form:

Milwaukee Bucks NBA form:

Team News

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Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard missed the Bucks' past outing done respective illnesses, but some men are expected to beryllium backmost successful clip to play a portion here.
 
Chris Livingston and AJ Johnson were besides absent against the Nets and stay doubtful for this one, which could spot Liam Robbins get different runout disconnected the backmost of a seventh quality of the season.
 
Khris Middleton is dilatory uncovering his bushed having precocious returned from injury, though it remains to beryllium seen if the guardant volition beryllium handed a starting relation erstwhile everyone is fit.
 
Bulls defender Josh Giddey continues to caregiver an ankle occupation and is acceptable to miss a 5th consecutive crippled since coming disconnected injured against the Raptors earlier this month.
 
The location broadside could besides beryllium without the services of Matas Buzelis, Lonzo Ball and Ayo Dosunmu done illness, perchance handing Dalen Terry yet different start.

We say: Bucks to triumph by 3+ points

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