From the day the NBA released its regular-season schedule, Jan. 1 looked like an insurmountable task for the Bulls: A third road game in four nights, the second game of a back-to-back, and against the Eastern Conference powerhouse Bucks.
It was ugly on paper and a nightmare in reality Friday as the Bulls, again down four players because of the NBA’s coronavirus protocols, played like they were 10 men down in a 126-96 loss in Milwaukee.
And even worse, help might not be coming anytime soon.
The Bulls will be off Saturday but back at it Sunday at home against the Mavericks before leaving for the West Coast for a four-game trip, with the team charter again expected to be light. Coach Billy Donovan was able to be more transparent about the situation Friday, letting reporters know that reserve forward Chandler Hutchison had tested positive for the coronavirus, while forward Lauri Markkanen and guard/forwards Tomas Satoransky and Ryan Arcidiacono were put into the league’s health and safety protocol, likely because of contact tracing.
Hutchison remained in Washington. D.C., with the NBA determining when he can get back to Chicago. The other three players were back in Chicago, Donovan said.
It was the second time this season the Bulls have had multiple players following the protocol, despite their front office and coaching staff being sticklers for the league’s coronavirus rules and precautions.
“The organization has been great,” Donovan said. “We still get a chance to do basketball. There’s just a lot of inconveniences, to be quite honest with you, and it’s just kind of the way of the world.
“It’s a totally different environment. . . . The year is challenging in a lot of different areas. You wake up in the morning and you don’t know maybe who’s gonna be available and not available.”
Two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was available for the Bucks and didn’t have much sympathy. He had a game-high 29 points in 28 minutes, along with 12 rebounds, and finished plus-31.
Bulls starters Otto Porter Jr., Patrick Williams and Wendell Carter Jr. also scored 29 points — combined. Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 16.
If there was a positive for the Bulls (2-4) it was that the game was decided fairly early, with the Bucks outscoring them 27-21 in the first quarter, then blowing them out 35-19 in the second quarter. That allowed Donovan to throw Williams in to see how he’d fare guarding Antetokounmpo.
“Of course, he’s good. Of course it was a challenge,” Williams said. “In my career, I want to be a guy that guards the best player night in and night out, and I think [Friday] was definitely a step forward for me, just getting more comfortable guarding guys like that. My chest is on fire right now just from the shoulders he gave me.”
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Undermanned and outclassed, Bulls stumble big in Milwaukee, losing by 30 - Chicago Sun-Times
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