Chicago Bulls: Ranking who’s to blame for Game 3 blowout loss to Bucks

The Chicago Bulls hit the lottery, upsetting the Bucks in Milwaukee and stealing home-court advantage in Game 2.  In that game, both Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis were unable to finish due to injuries.

Middleton sprained his MCL on a fourth quarter fall and Portis suffered an eye laceration. Middleton has since been ruled out for the remainder of the series, while Portis was cleared for Game 3, though he had to wear protective gear over his eyes.

Injuries have become a major factor in every series of the playoffs, with the healthier team taking advantage of the edge.

That wasn’t the case for the Bulls on Friday night, though.

Chicago opened the game unable to establish themselves in the paint, quickly falling behind by double digits. They were never able to comeback, falling down as much as 37 points.

To add insult to injury, Chicago nemesis Grayson Allen made five three-pointers, scoring a game-high 22 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo added 18 points, while Bobby Portis had 18 points and 16 rebounds. The Bucks smacked the Bulls 111-81, taking a 2-1 series lead over the Bulls and easily snatching back home-court advantage.

There was plenty that went wrong, but there are five particular people who are most at fault for the Bulls’ pathetic outing.

5. Zach LaVine

The Bulls’ young star was MIA in Game 3. LaVine was unable to get quality looks from the jump. A lot of his struggles stemmed from Jrue Holiday and Wesley Matthews physically dominating him on both ends.

The biggest issue that stood out was LaVine’s lack of awareness. He didn’t take shots that were open on kick-outs, and also took shots that were heavily contested in isolation. His inability to read and react properly is due to his youth — something expected but it has killed the Bulls in all of their meaningful games.

In Game 1, the Bulls had the opportunity to tie the game with under 30 seconds to play, and LaVine took a long step-back three over Holiday. While the shot is something he can make, it’s one the Bulls can get at any point in a given game. In that situation, it ‘ best to move the ball around and get a closer/better look.

That type of poor IQ is what cost the Bulls in each of their losses to elite teams this season, and played a heavy role in the team diving into a hole in Game 3. LaVine is the team’s second-best player but has moments where he’s the killing their offensive rhythm.

Friday night was a moment where that was the nail in the coffin.