The Milwaukee Bucks crossed their final regular season game off the schedule Sunday night with a 118-112 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
However, these were not your typical Bucks as the team was without every single routine starter along with P.J. Tucker, Bryn Forbes, and Bobby Portis. They were all initially slated to play, but once word came in that they had cemented their place as the third seed in the Eastern Conference, it abruptly became a rest night for practically the entire rotation.
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That opened the door for some fresh faces to get an opportunity for Milwaukee as head coach Mike Budenholzer was forced to dig deep into his bench.
The shorthanded Bucks remained competitive and managed to keep things close with the Bulls until the final buzzer, properly getting the chance to evaluate some of the talented pieces on this roster that would typically not get the chance to shine.
Before all the focus shifts towards Milwaukee’s first round matchup with the Miami Heat in the coming days, here are three takeaways from last night’s loss in Chicago.
Jeff Teague steps up in starting role for Milwaukee Bucks in loss to Bulls
Although most of Milwaukee’s veterans were sidelined for this matchup, Jeff Teague was a rare exception. Not only did the 32-year-old suit up and play, but he got the nod in the starting lineup at the point guard slot.
The veteran floor general certainly made good with the opportunity by scoring an impressive 23 points on 5-for-11 shooting, including 3-for-3 from deep. Teague was aggressive in scoring the basketball all night by having earned himself 12 attempts from the free throw line where he added 10 points to his overall total. In addition to his heightened scoring load, Teague served as Milwaukee’s primary orchestrater offensively and dished out seven assists to show for it.
Although he has never been known for his defense, the guard also made his presence felt on that side of the ball last night as he tallied three steals and even a rare blocked shot. Teague can be a pesky player on defense at times, and he caught some attention for his efforts against Chicago.
Games like this showcase just how much of a wild card Teague can be on any given night for the Bucks. He possesses a solid scoring touch and pristine playmaking ability that he can put up big numbers routinely, but he has not been able to show it consistently. If he does receive a meaningful role in the playoff rotation, finding a rhythm off the bench as he did in Sunday’s loss to the Bulls would be a massive boost.