CHICAGO — The Milwaukee Bucks faced a challenge on Monday night, as they played against the Chicago Bulls without two of their key players, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

Antetokounmpo, who has been dealing with back spasms, missed his second consecutive game and has been sidelined for a total of four games this season. The two-time MVP took part in the pregame shootaround, but the team ultimately decided to hold him out.
Lillard, on the other hand, missed his third straight game due to a non-COVID illness. He had previously been out due to a strained right calf, but according to head coach Doc Rivers, the injury is “much better.”
When asked about Antetokounmpo’s status, Rivers mentioned, “He just had to feel better, and he didn’t, so we just sat him down.”
Khris Middleton was on the court after participating in both a loss to Cleveland and a win against Washington on the preceding Friday and Saturday. In the game against the Wizards, he had an impressive performance, scoring 18 points, contributing eight assists, and securing six rebounds. This marked his best outing since recovering from offseason surgeries on both ankles that had sidelined him for the first 21 games of the season.
Heading into the matchup with the Bulls, the Bucks had secured victories in 14 of their last 18 games, including a prior win in the Oklahoma City NBA Cup final. It is worth noting that the Cup final results do not influence the regular-season record.
Rivers expressed confidence in the team’s resilience, stating, “I don’t think this team ever was fazed by it. We believe that we’re gonna be a good team. We had to find the right combinations as a coaching staff to use, and we were in search of that. Our guys had to buy into our defense. We completely overhauled our defense, and it helps when the ball goes in.”