NBA

Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls

· National Basketball Association
16-14, 5-9 Away
Final
111 - 116

14-18, 5-11 Home

Giddey's triple-double sends Bulls to 116-111 win over Bucks

Giddey amasses triple-double in return from injury

Giddey, who missed the previous four games with an ankle injury, sank two free throws with 10 seconds left to make it 115-111, then pulled down a rebound to help seal it as Chicago snapped a three-game losing streak.

Nikola Vucevic had 23 points and 13 rebounds. Coby White, who scored 22, nailed a tiebreaking jumper with 32 seconds remaining.

Damian Lillard returned to the lineup with 29 points and 12 assists, but the Bucks dropped their second straight. The star guard came on with 18 points in the second half as Milwaukee played without NBA scoring leader Giannis Antetokounmpo (illness) for a fourth consecutive game.

Brook Lopez had 22 points and Khris Middleton scored 17 of his 21 in the first half. Middleton, under a minutes restriction following offseason ankle surgery, played sparingly in the second half before hitting two key baskets late.

The Bulls led 62-60 at halftime after opening a pair of 13-point leads.

Takeaways Bucks: It took a while for the 34-year-old Lillard to heat up. He pulled Milwaukee back into the game and played 35:28.

Bulls: Chicago responded with a tighter effort following a 141-133 loss at Atlanta on Thursday when the Hawks rallied from a late 21-point deficit with 50 points in the fourth quarter.

Key moment The Bulls opened a seven-point cushion to start the third before the Bucks bounced back and took their first lead, 75-72, on Bobby Portis' 3-pointer midway through the quarter. Milwaukee led 84-83 after three, but Chicago used a 10-0 run to set up a close finish.

Key stat Chicago outscored Milwaukee 56-42 in the paint.

Up next The Bucks play at Indiana on New Year’s Eve. The Bulls are at Charlotte on Monday.

Regular Season Series

Series tied 2-2

Recent Plays

4th 0.0 End of Game 111 - 116
4th 0.0 End of the 4th Quarter 111 - 116
4th 1.1 Bobby Portis defensive rebound 111 - 116
4th 3.1 Zach LaVine misses free throw 2 of 2 111 - 116
4th 3.1 Zach LaVine makes free throw 1 of 2 111 - 116

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/mil.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originMIL https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/chi.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originCHI
41-102 FG 45-95
40 Field Goal % 47
15-45 3PT 14-36
33 Three Point % 39
14-14 FT 12-17
100 Free Throw % 71
43 Rebounds 52
6 Offensive Rebounds 11
37 Defensive Rebounds 41
27 Assists 33
6 Steals 4
7 Blocks 6
7 Turnovers 11
1 Team Turnovers 0
8 Total Turnovers 11
0 Technical Fouls 0
0 Total Technical Fouls 0
0 Flagrant Fouls 1
10 Points Conceded Off Turnovers 7
10 Fast Break Points 16
42 Points in Paint 56
16 Fouls 16
5 Largest Lead 13
Chicago Bulls Chicago Bulls Injuries
NAME, POS STATUS DATE
Josh Giddey, G Day-To-Day Apr 5
Matas Buzelis, F Day-To-Day Apr 5
Nick Richards, C Out Apr 5
Anfernee Simons, G Out Apr 4
Jalen Smith, F Out Mar 26
Milwaukee Bucks Milwaukee Bucks Injuries
NAME, POS STATUS DATE
Giannis Antetokounmpo, F Out Apr 4
Bobby Portis, F Out Apr 4
Gary Trent Jr., G Out Apr 4
Kevin Porter Jr., G Out Mar 28

Game Information

United Center

Location: Chicago, IL
Attendance: 21,511 · Capacity:

2025-26 Central Standings

TEAM W L PCT GB STRK
Detroit 57 21 .731 - W3
Cleveland 49 29 .628 8 W2
Milwaukee 31 47 .397 26 W1
Chicago 29 49 .372 28 L7
Indiana 18 60 .231 39 L2
Full Standings

NBA News

Kevin Durant, Rockets spoil Stephen Curry's return from injury, beat Warriors 117-116

Kevin Durant, Rockets spoil Stephen Curry's return from injury, beat Warriors 117-116

— Alperen Sengun made the go-ahead layup with 11 seconds left on a pass from Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets held off

Flagg passes Knueppel in ROY odds after 'statement' game

Flagg passes Knueppel in ROY odds after 'statement' game

After putting up 45 points in a near triple-double Sunday, Cooper Flagg passed Kon Knueppel as the favorite for Rookie of the Year.

Raynaud scores 28 points to help the Kings beat the Pelicans

Raynaud scores 28 points to help the Kings beat the Pelicans

— Rookie Maxime Raynaud scored 28 points and the Sacramento Kings overcame a 17-point, first-half deficit to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 117-113 on Friday night.

Spurs roll past the Clippers 118-99 without Victor Wembanyama for 11th straight win

Spurs roll past the Clippers 118-99 without Victor Wembanyama for 11th straight win

— De'Aaron Fox scored 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Los Angeles Clippers 118-99 on Thursday night without Victor Wembanyama in the lineup to win their 11th in a row.