Grading performances in Milwaukee Bucks’ Game 4 win vs. Chicago Bulls

Apr 24, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 24, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
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Milwaukee Bucks: Bobby Portis, Jrue Holiday, Chicago Bulls: DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine
Apr 24, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Grading Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls Game 4: Starters

Jrue Holiday: A

Jrue Holiday’s offensive efficiency showed itself in full effect Sunday afternoon, Jrue scored early, often and from all over the court. Jrue hit not one but two very deep threes from straight away from the basket, one early in the shot clock after assisting a three to Bobby Portis, the other late in the game as the shot clock was nearly up.

Jrue finished with 26 points on 10-of-21 shooting including 5-of-8 on threes, he also added seven assists and committed just two turnovers. In addition to his best offensive game of the series, Jrue Holiday’s defense on DeMar DeRozan has helped shift the momentum of this series.

Wesley Matthews: B

Another relatively quiet night for Wesley Matthews offensively, he didn’t register points until the fourth quarter, but the two 3-point shots he hit were timely and part of closing out the Bulls in Game 4 for good.

In addition, Wesley Matthews is the other part of the backcourt tandem that is causing absolute havoc for DeMar DeRozan and Zach Lavine who are finding easy and open shots very hard to come by.

Giannis Antetokounmpo: A

In my opinion, the most consistent player of this entire series has been Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis played less than 35 minutes and still put up an absolutely mammoth stat line, 32 points on 11-of-22 shooting, 9-of-12 at the free throw line, 17 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks. Yes, Giannis did finish with four turnovers but offensive fouls count as turnovers and Giannis’ tendency to be aggressive going to the basket has gotten him into trouble at times, not actual carelessness with the ball.

Giannis has improved as the series has gone on at diagnosing when the Bulls are bringing the double team his way and has done a fantastic job of using his dribble to pull away from the double team, passing out of it to get the ball back, finding open teammates for open shots, and in Game 4, splitting a double team and getting a layup plus a foul. Giannis has been and will continue to be the leader of this Milwaukee Bucks team as they look to win the series Wednesday.

Bobby Portis: A-

Bobby Portis played a very solid game offensively, especially as far as his shot selection and efficiency are concerned. The only thing that kept me from giving Bobby a straight A were his three turnovers, Bobby got a little antsy at times and it led to some happy feet as he was catching the ball a couple of times.

That said, Bobby Portis was great on the offensive end all around, with 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting and 10 rebounds, his third double-double of the series. Bobby did a great job of recognizing when he had a smaller defender on him and exploited the mismatches to get whatever shot he wanted, whether it was a lowly contested midrange or a back down into the paint for a jump hook, Bobby was efficient with his shots on Sunday.

Brook Lopez: B

Brook Lopez tallied his lowest point total for the Milwaukee Bucks in this series so far, making only one two-point basket, yet still finished +15. Brook Lopez did a lot of dirty work for the Bucks on Sunday, grabbing five rebounds (two offensive), dishing two assists, snagging two steals and recording a blocked shot, all while dealing with foul trouble (he finished with five fouls).

So Brook Lopez may not have filled the stat sheet with points, but he contributed something in basically every aspect of the game. His identity as a role player to fill whatever role the Bucks need from him on a nightly basis cannot be understated, Brook Lopez will continue to play a key role for the Milwaukee Bucks.