Jason Kidd
It wasn’t pretty from the opening tip as the Milwaukee Bucks fell behind by as much as 34 points in the first half, and ultimately suffered a 120-66 Game 6 loss to the Bulls at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
The 54-point setback is the largest losing deficit ever for a Bucks playoff game. The win gives Chicago a 4-2 Eastern Conference playoff series win, sending the Bulls to a 2nd round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Chicago was hot early, hitting 51% of their shots in the first half, including an 8-for-15 effort from beyond the arc.
Michael Dunleavy scored 19 of his game-high 20 points in the first half to lead the Bulls.
Not a single player reached double figures in scoring for Milwaukee, who were paced by Zaza Pachulia’s eight points. The Bucks struggled from the field, connecting on 25-of-76 (32%) field goal attempts and only 4-of-19 from three.
Chicago flipped the script from the previous two games, scoring 22 fast break points and dominating the paint with a 50-20 advantage.
All five Bulls starters scored in double digits in the series clinching win. Former Marquette star Jimmy Butler tallied 16 points.
In their first year under head coach Jason Kidd, Milwaukee orchestrated a 26-win turnaround from going 15-67 last season to 41-41 this year. After losing their first three games against Chicago, Milwaukee rallied to win back-to-back contest. The Game 4 win snapped a nine-game postseason losing streak dating back to 2010.
AUDIO: Jason Kidd explains the message he delivered to his team following the season-ending loss :24