Giannis gets heated; Bucks starters dominate third quarter in 111-107 win over the Bulls

The Milwaukee Bucks hosted the Chicago Bulls on Monday night at Fiserv Forum, with the Bucks winning their first preseason game 111-107 to improve to 1-2. Chicago fell to 1-2.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 24 points and had a team-high 10 rebounds. Adama Sanogo led the Bulls with 16 points and 15 rebounds.

Box score: Bucks 111, Bulls 107

The Bucks wrap up their exhibition schedule Thursday night in Dallas. Their season opener is Oct. 23 in Philadelphia and they will host the Bulls on Oct. 25 for the home opener.

Here are some takeaways from Monday's game:

Buck starters impose will in third quarter

The first half showed how when teams have vastly different agendas, the game can get a bit funky. The Bucks were going to play their regulars more minutes than the second preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, whereas the Bulls only played one starter (Josh Giddey) as they have two more exhibitions on the horizon.

"It's tough," Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said. "I will say this – we were pretty sure they were going to play all their starters. And, you can see the guys like (shrug)."

As a result, play got a bit tense in the first half as the overmatched and undersized Bulls fouled hard – and it seemed as if the Bucks starters sleepwalked through a first quarter in which they trailed 34-24. And though Milwaukee outscored Chicago 35-34 in the second quarter, it still didn’t appear as if the Bucks were wholly invested.

That changed coming out of the break, however.

The Bucks starters returned to open the second half down nine points, and after a quick basket by the Bulls put them up 11 points, the Bucks flipped the switch.

Over the next 2 minutes 30 seconds of game play the Bucks went on a 15-0 run to take a 74-70 lead before Bulls head coach Billy Donovan called timeout. In that stretch, the Bucks forced two turnovers that led to three points and they held the Bulls to 0-for-4 shooting.

"They got off to a good start when it came to offensive rebounding, we knew they were going to play fast and we knew they were a good three-point shooting team and a team, basically, completely different from last year," Bucks starting forward Taurean Prince said. "So, we just wanted to get out and force them into the paint. But we were giving up too many middle drives. Just trying to dictate, force them to where we want to force them, to where our defense best benefits and I think that's what we did third quarter."

Rivers said there was nothing to say to the starters about a sluggish first half, but they knew they were going to open the third quarter.

"But for us, listen, I don't want to be down, but it was good for them to gather together defensively and start moving the ball (offensively)," Rivers said of his team. "I thought the first half, even though it was more our defense and the offensive rebounds and the hustle plays, but I thought offensively we didn't share the ball, we didn't play together. We were shooting 50%. Like, it's hard to complain but we weren't playing right. Then in the first eight minutes (of the third) the ball is hopping, we're getting wide open threes, wide open layups, deep posts. That's who we have to be, so that was better."

Chicago turned it over three more times coming out of that break but did manage to end the scoreless streak. But the tide had finally turned, with the Bucks taking an 80-72 lead at the 6:48 mark of the third to force Donovan into another timeout.

"Really just wanted to come out of the half and try to be as dominant as we can," Bucks starting guard Gary Trent Jr. said. "We should have tried to start the game like that, but obviously we're still learning, still putting the pieces together. So obviously if we can come out and start how we started in that second half, it will be in pretty good shape. It's all about continuing to build right now."

Rivers kept the starters on the floor out of that break, too, but for only another 42 seconds. At that point Antetokounmpo and Prince’s night ended while Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez and Trent remained in the game alongside Bobby Portis Jr. and Pat Connaughton.

Rookie Tyler Smith and backup guard Delon Wright then subbed in for Lopez and Trent with the Bucks up 83-76.

Antetokounmpo finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and four assists while Lopez had 11 points and Trent 10.

Lillard subbed out with the Bucks up 85-77 with 2:36 to go in the third, and he played the longest of all starters (27 minutes) in scoring 20 points and handing out nine assists.

In the quarter, Milwaukee outscored Chicago 32-15.

"The effort was there all game, it's just the IQ behind the effort, you know what I mean?" Prince said of the defensive lockdown in the frame. "Forcing them and dictating them into areas and driving lanes that we want to force them into, that way we can be able to rotate efficiently and get to where we need to get to."

Giannis Antetokounmpo gets heated vs. Bulls

With the Bulls playing one starter, guard Josh Giddey, most of the players seeing court time against the Bucks starters were looking to make an impression. Sometimes, such talent mismatches can lead to good coaching points, or bring out something in a young player that the coaches hadn’t otherwise seen. Other times, it can lead to some overexuberance and some extracurricular activity.

Oddly, though, it was Giddey who was front-and-center in raising the temperature of Antetokounmpo early in the first quarter.

Following three consecutive offensive rebounds by Antetokounmpo on his own misses, he was fouled by Giddey to end the series. On the next Bucks possession, Antetokounmpo posted Giddey up and was fed the ball over the top – leading to a hard foul by Chicago forward Onuralp Bitim to prevent the Bucks star from getting easy basket. In the ensuing entanglement, Antetokounmpo shoved Giddey to the baseline out of frustration.

The play was reviewed for a hostile act, and while Bitim’s foul was not upgraded Antetokounmpo was assessed a technical foul for a “physical taunt” of Giddey.

It was the second technical foul for a Bucks player in two games over some physical play, as backup center Liam Robbins and Los Angeles Lakers backup forward Armel Traoré each drew one for extracurriculars Thursday.

Then, with 1 minute, 18 seconds to go in the first half, Antetokounmpo fouled Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis hard as the Chicago big man went up for a dunk. Antetokounmpo hit Buzelis from the back as he went airborne, sending him tumbling to the court.

The play was reviewed, and Antetokounmpo was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul for the play.

"I don't know about that flagrant," Rivers said. "But, it is what it is. And Giannis has to protect himself. I don't like techs but man, the foul (by Bitim) was not a normal foul. And one of the things I told the officials, if you're going to call Giannis on that flagrant in the second (quarter) how can you not call one in the first (quarter)? That wasn't a basketball play at all. But, it is what it is."

Flagrant 1 fouls are given for unnecessary contact on an opponent. A Flagrant 2 would have been awarded had the officials deemed the foul unnecessary and excessive and would have resulted in Antetokounmpo’s immediate ejection.

Antetokounmpo remained in the game and made two free throws and had a dunk to finish the half with 18 points on 4 of 10 shooting and a 10-for-12 mark from the free throw line in 17 minutes. He also had eight rebounds and four assists.

Antetokounmpo did not speak to reporters after the game.

5 numbers

• 9 Players deep Doc Rivers went in the first half, with rookie point guard AJ Johnson being the one young player getting rotation minutes.
• 12-16 Giannis Antetokounmpo’s night from the free throw line (75%). They were his first free throws in a game in the preseason. In FIBA play over the summer for the Greek national team, Antetokounmpo shot 65.5% (38-for-58) from the line in helping Greece to the Olympics for the first time since 2008.
• 22-8 Run by the Bulls over a five-and-a-half-minute stretch at the end of the first quarter and into the second to give them a 36-26 lead.
• 45 Total personal fouls called. One player (Buzelis) fouled out. There were also two technical fouls and one Flagrant 1 called.
• 50 Percent shooting from the floor for the Bucks (20-for-40) in the first half in scoring 59 points. For a time they were also shooting 50% from behind the three-point line, but finished the half 6 of 13 (46.2%).

MarJon Beauchamp hopes continuity leads to consistency

This is the third consecutive preseason with a “new” head coach for MarJon Beauchamp, which isn’t necessarily an ideal circumstance for a 24-year-old still looking to find a foothold in the NBA. But this October is a little different in that Rivers ended last season coaching the Bucks.

“It’s been great,” Beauchamp said of the coaching continuity under Rivers. “Just building every day, building his trust of course and just trying to figure out his system and how he wants us to play the right way. It’s been great. I feel like I’ve been making the right plays, going out there and just playing and defending hard and yeah, just making the right plays and making the right reads and taking the right shots.”

Last season Beauchamp played 34 games (15.7 minutes) under Adrian Griffin but just 14 (5.3 minutes) under Rivers, and the 2022 first-round draft pick is hoping to find a way into more consistent appearances as he goes through Rivers’ first training camp.

Beauchamp said Rivers has gotten on him about being decisive on offense in recent practices, so that remains a constant focus. Beauchamp added new assistant coach Greg Buckner (the team’s “defensive coordinator,” per Rivers) wants him to know his spots on defense in cutting off drives to the middle of the floor, as well as contesting shots – along with an increased overall effort.

Consistent time has been hard to come by for Beauchamp in first two seasons on a team with title aspirations, so he must make the most of what he’s gotten in the preseason. Against Chicago on Monday, when the Bucks played a more regular rotation early on, he didn’t get in until just over 10 minutes remained in the game. He finished with four points on 2 of 4 shooting and had two steals against one turnover.

In 15 minutes against Detroit on Oct. 6, going 0-for-4 from the floor with four rebounds and two assists. He was also called for two fouls. A late substitution against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 10, Beauchamp played 14 minutes and was 2-for-3 from the floor for four points. He added four assists and did not foul.

“I think it’s just quicker decisions, make quicker decisions, defending even harder,” he said of what the coaches wanted to see out of him this month. “We’ve got a different defensive coach this year (in Buckner), so just learning the terminology and knowing your spots. I’m just trying to keep building every day.”

Is Giannis playing?

Yes. He played in 20 first half minutes against the Lakers on Oct. 10 and Rivers said they would gradually work Antetokounmpo's minutes up. He played 23 against the Bulls.

More: Doc Rivers wants the Milwaukee Bucks to 'learn how to play.' What does that mean?

Khris Middleton progressing from injuries

The three-time all-star continues to recover from offseason surgery on both ankles, but Rivers said earlier in the week that Middleton will "probably" not play tonight vs. Chicago. But, he is hopeful Middleton can play either in Dallas on Oct. 17 and/or the regular-season opener in Philadelphia on Oct. 23.

More: Bucks star Khris Middleton continues to progress but his on-court return date remains cloudy

Is Lonzo Ball playing?

The Bulls point guard will not return to the court for the first time since he played in a regular-season game on Jan. 14, 2022. Ball, 26, will play in the Bulls' preseason finale later this week. The point guard has had multiple surgeries on his left knee over the years, and there was real doubt he would ever return to the court.

Chicago head coach Billy Donovan said before the game that the team hoped Ball would be able to get into two preseason games, but a bout with COVID-19 set the point guard back with some weight loss and conditioning. Donovan added Ball has gotten back to his physical baseline from before the illness and is prepared to play in the coming games.

Bucks starters

• Guards: Damian Lillard, Gary Trent Jr.
• Forwards: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Taurean Prince
• Center: Brook Lopez

( This story was updated to add new information.)

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Giannis gets heated; Bucks starters dominate third quarter in 111-107 win over the Bulls