Chicago Bulls Fall to Neighbors-to-the-North Milwaukee Bucks in NBA Cup Group Play

Giannis Antetokounmpo shines as the Bucks defeat the Bulls 126-110, marking the Bulls’ first loss in group play action.

In a high-stakes matchup of the NBA Cup group play, the Milwaukee Bucks edged out the Chicago Bulls 126-110 at home, marking a strong statement for Milwaukee while handing the Bulls their first loss in group action.

Dominant Bucks performance led by Giannis

Milwaukee’s star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, turned in a monster line: 41 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists, including 19 points in the fourth quarter to seal the win. He torched Chicago’s defense down the stretch, converting a key 3-pointer and finishing a lob dunk during a pivotal run.
Supporting Giannis was Myles Turner, who recorded 23 points, grabbed several rebounds, and added four steals. Also contributing: Ryan Rollins with 20 points (including 4-of-6 from three) and bench players like Kyle Kuzma and Cole Anthony, each with 11 points.

Bulls’ effort falls short

For Chicago, Matas Buzelis led the way with 20 points and eight rebounds, while Josh Giddey posted 16 points and 14 assists. Nikola Vucevic added 16 points, and Tre Jones delivered 17 points.
But the Bulls faltered where it counts: their 3-point shooting was a mess — just 10-of-33 from beyond the arc (~30.3 %) — and that lack of spacing prevented them from closing the gap late. Also, returning from injury, Ayo Dosunmu managed only 7 points in 20 minutes.

Game flow & turning point

The Bulls came out hot early and led after the first quarter (25-23), but the Bucks gradually took control in the third quarter behind a significant 8-0 run that pushed their lead into double digits.
In the fourth, the Bucks finally pulled away: after Chicago cut the margin to five with about 5:29 to play, Milwaukee responded with an 11-2 surge (sparked by Giannis, Turner, and Rollins) and stretched the lead to 14 with about 3:15 remaining. From there, Chicago scored just 12 points the rest of the way.

Story continues below.

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