3 things to watch in Milwaukee Bucks rematch against Chicago Bulls

Finishing off a long homestand with a close win over an Eastern Conference rival sure does feel good, huh? Well, the Milwaukee Bucks are headed back on the road for the first time in almost a month. The nice thing is that they won’t be going far as they make the short trip to play the Chicago Bulls.

These division rivals have only met once this season, which was a Bucks win in a game that… well, nothing eventful happened whatsoever, right? This is one of three meetings for these teams down the stretch, which will have a big impact on the standings as we get into the thick of the playoff race.

The Bulls didn’t have Zach LaVine for that first game, but will be available tonight and, along with DeMar DeRozan, will present some challenges for the Bucks’ defense. We’ll get to that in a moment, though.

How will the whole Grayson Allen situation be handled?

You know, upon further review, there may have been something that happened in the first game against the Bulls that may play a part in tonight’s game. Grayson Allen had a hard, dangerous foul on Alex Caruso that led to him needing surgery to repair a fractured wrist.

Caruso, unfortunately, won’t be back for this game but with it being in Chicago, the crowd will certainly let Allen hear it.

I don’t anticipate there to be much retribution or action on the court, though. First of all, this is the National Basketball Association. These guys care way more about winning the actual game than getting a shot in on Allen.

Second and somewhat related, what Bull is risking a potential suspension for doing something dumb in retaliation and having to miss a game down the stretch? The Bulls are still very much within striking distance of first place, but also only a few games from sixth.

You can have your opinions on how you felt about the Allen situation, but it would objectively silly for any Chicago player to take the chance missing a game at this point of the season.

The more important thing will be how the Bucks handle a raucous and vocal crowd. A few years ago, this may have played a factor but after two deep playoff runs in front of big crowds, the reigning champs know how to handle tough crowds. It will still be fun to watch, though!