3 takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks’ vile Game 2 loss vs. Chicago Bulls

The Milwaukee Bucks failed to replicate the same defensive pressure in Game 2 that helped them limit DeMar DeRozan in Game 1

Among the significant reasons why the Bucks managed to gut out that ugly Game 1 win over the Bulls was their defense against DeMar DeRozan. Milwaukee’s defense held him to 18 points on a subpar 6-of-25 field goal shooting as they hounded him all night without fouling him. Replicating that blueprint would be pivotal in this game, but the Bucks failed to do so.

DeRozan caught fire right from the jump in this matchup and never cooled down as he torched the champs all game. Despite the carousel of defenders such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Wesley Matthews, and more trying to defend him, DeRozan just kept hitting tough shot after shot, and that included several late ones to help Chicago secure this victory. In total, he finished with an eye-catching 41 points on 16-of-31 shooting from the floor. Obviously, the Bucks cannot be too proud of the effort they gave on that side of the basketball when defending the All-Star forward.

Heading into Game 3, DeRozan now has all the momentum. He lit up Milwaukee’s defense in this poor showing in Game 2, and he will certainly look to do the same in front of his home crowd with the series shifting to Chicago. The Bucks must now formulate a game plan defensively to prevent another offensive onslaught by DeRozan, and two players that will be vital in that are Holiday and Matthews, a pair of reputable defenders that will be tasked with slowing him down offensively.

With the series knotted at 1-1 and things shifting to Chicago, the Bucks have some work to do and certainly some areas they desperately need to clean up fast.

Be sure to catch the Game 3 action at 7:30 p.m. CST on ABC tomorrow night.