Milwaukee end Bulls five-game winning streak with a much brighter star

The Bulls don’t have a Giannis Antetokounmpo. No one close to it.

Far too many games this season have been a reminder of that as they kick around the .500 mark in the standings yet again.

No Greek Freak anywhere to be found.

What they do have, however, is a Ballsie Aussie, and Josh Giddey is going to have to be good enough even on nights when it doesn’t feel like he is.

That was on full display on Saturday, as the Bulls (15-16) watched a five-game winning streak come to an end in the 112-103 loss, and even almost came to blows with several Milwaukee players after the game.

Antetokounmpo, who finished with 29 points, dunked the ball on a solo runout with 1.9 seconds left, was confronted by Nikola Vucevic on why he did it, and the shoving soon started, as both teams gathered at mid-court.

“He shouldn’t have dunked the ball,” White said. “It was disrespectful to the game. I said, ‘Bro, c’mon, you’re better than that.’ And it kind of just broke out. Was an NBA scuffle, nothing really happened.

“You all won the game, the game is over with, why you got to do that? I think it’s a respect thing to the game and your opponent, but the game in general.”

As for the showdown between two “stars,” Giddey was held scoreless in the first half on 0-for-3 shooting, doing all he can to try and make his presence felt in other ways. Considering he came into the night averaging All-Star-caliber numbers with 19.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game, while shooting a career-best 39.1% from three-point range, not a stretch for him.

Or as coach Billy Donovan explained it, Giddey’s next iteration in his development being a guy that impacts winning just with his presence on the floor.

A key reason the organization not only acquired him for Alex Caruso in the deal with Oklahoma City two seasons ago but then felt confident enough investing in him last July, inking him to a four-year, $100-million extension.

“After the All-Star Break (last season) he really played well,” Donovan said. “Everybody felt like that was sustainable, something he could do on a continual basis. The fact that he was 22 years old and the opportunity, one he’s really competitive, good stamina, endurance and threshold. And he’s gotten better every year.

“I think the idea was here’s a young player that’s had a tremendous amount of experience his first couple years, learned a lot. Everybody in the organization felt that he could take another step, which I think he has done. You look at the improved shooting, I think he’s improved defensively. I think he’s got a better familiarity with the guys he’s playing with, I think relationally he’s an easy guy to get along with, guys like playing with him. All those things probably added up to where we had to say, ‘Listen, we need to re-sign him.’ “

Money well spent so far individually for Giddey. As far as how much he can lift the team, that is a work in progress with more sweat equity put in against the Bucks. After that scoreless first half, Giddey had eight points in the third to spark a rally, grabbing four rebounds and handing out three assists.

He was at it again in the final minutes of the fourth, Vucevic on back-to-back baskets to cut the deficit to three.

There’s a reason Antetokounmpo is Antetokounmpo, however, and he reminded the Bulls of that with four points in the final minute lifted the lead to seven. White hit a three with 33 seconds left, but that was as close as the Bulls would get. At least until tempers flared after the final horn and players had to be separated.

“I just didn’t understand it,” White added of the last-second “disrespectful” dunk by Antetokounmpo. “I’ve never seen him do anything like that. I guess he got out of character for a moment.”