Bulls vs. Bucks Game 4 results: Jerryd Bayless’ buzzer beater gives Milwaukee a win

The Milwaukee Bucks are still alive against the Chicago Bulls., thanks to incredible reaction time from Jason Kidd and an unbelievable last-second play that got Jerryd Bayless a layup with 1.3 seconds left. The Bucks win, 92-90, and cut Chicago’s series lead to 3-1.

The final sequence was set up thanks to an alert timeout by Kidd after Derrick Rose turned it over with the game tied. Because the timeout occurred immediately, Milwaukee was able to advance the ball and get 1.3 seconds to win the game. Milwaukee then ran decoy action to distract the Bulls as Bayless slipped behind Rose to the basket. Jared Dudley delivered the perfect lob pass and Bayless finished it.

The game didn’t look like it’d be this dramatic early on. The Bulls overcame a sloppy first quarter and pulled ahead by nine early in the second, but Milwaukee’s bench took over like it did in Game 3. The Bucks went on a 21-2 run, led by aggressive play from Bayless, strong shooting from O.J. Mayo and Dudley and interior length from John Henson. The Bulls continued to give the ball away to the Bucks, triggering fast break after fast break. A Mayo corner three put Milwaukee up 10 just minutes after it trailed by nine.

But -- and stop me if this sounds like a broken record -- the Bulls composed themselves and slowly got back into the game by halftime. Jimmy Butler made play after play, especially once the Bucks came back with their starters. He poured in 23 first-half points, including this leaning bank shot at the buzzer to tie the game at 50 at halftime.

The two teams played to a standstill in the third quarter before the Bucks’ bench again made a run, building an eight-point lead with four and a half minutes to go. The Bulls continued to play big lineups that lacked floor spacing, allowing Milwaukee’s defense to force turnover after turnover. Nevertheless, Chicago was within three points until a wild possession ended in a 30-foot Mayo three that put Milwaukee up six with 1:40 left. It looked like that’d seal the game.

But the Bulls had other ideas. A Rose three chopped the lead in half with 1:10 remaining, and they tied the game a few seconds later after a long rebound led to a fast break and a Pau Gasol three-point play. The two teams then traded misses, with Taj Gibson swatting Bayless and Khris Middleton stealing the ball from Rose. That set up the final sequence.

1. The Bucks’ bench was the difference
For the second straight game, Milwaukee was at its best with the bench mob in. Mayo, Dudley, Bayless and Henson again provided a big lift in this game. Mayo created and made his jumpers, Dudley spaced the floor, Henson protected the rim and Bayless attacked and won the game. Kidd masterfully deployed those four and Middleton during the second and fourth quarters. Meanwhile, the Bulls stubbornly responded with bigger lineups that had no chance of spacing the floor.

As the Bucks move forward with their rebuilding project, they need to remember how important their bench is to their success. Michael Carter-Williams and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the team’s future, but having veterans like Dudley, Mayo and Bayless is valuable in its own right.

The Bucks’ pressure defense has confounded the Bulls at times this series, but never for this long. The Bucks loaded far off every Bulls big man, swarming the strong side with arms, arms and more arms. Chicago occasionally has spacing issues, which the Bucks exploited. The difference was that the Bulls were a quarter of a second slower moving the ball in Game 4 than they were in the previous three games. That added up to an incredible 28 turnovers.

Milwaukee was especially relentless when Joakim Noah was in the game. Noah was so good as a high-post passer last season, but his already-poor jumper is non-existent and he’s not able to drive and finish like he could in the past. As a result, the Bucks could send extra help everywhere else without worrying about Noah beating them. That allowed Milwaukee to compensate for its size disadvantage. Tom Thibodeau has been slow to use smaller lineups throughout the series, but he should have in this game.

Still, even with Noah on the court, the Bulls can do better. Passes need to be crisper and plays need to be run going middle rather than towards the sideline.

3. Jimmy Butler nearly saved the Bulls
What a performance. Butler did everything for the Bulls. He hit open threes after sliding into position nicely to get open threes. He drove to the hoop and finished through contact. He posted up smaller defenders and shot over them. He got out in transition and gave the Bulls easy shots before Milwaukee’s defense could get set. He was largely responsible for inactive games from Antetokounmpo and Middleton.

Without Butler, the Bulls lose badly. Rose had a quiet game after dominating in Game 3 and Pau Gasol wasn’t able to get many shots off because of Milwaukee’s length. In the past, the Bulls weren’t coming close/winning if Rose had such a poor game. That’s not the case anymore.

Few wings are playing better than Butler right now. The Bucks have done a lot of good things in this series, but Butler has significantly outplayed Middleton and Antetokounmpo. That’s been the difference.

★★★