Milwaukee--- Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks displayed a championship mindset by defeating a quality opponent, even when their shots didn't fall through.
Of course, it helped that the Chicago Bulls were icy off the field, too.
Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 12 rebounds to help the Bucks overcome Grayson Allen's rejection and beat the Bulls 94-90 on Friday night. Both teams shot below 40% overall and posted their worst 3-point percentages of the season.
"At the end of the day, a win is a win," Antetokounmpo said. "We did the right things. We made good habits tonight."
DeMar DeRozan scored 35 points but missed a 3-pointer that would have put the Bulls ahead with 23 seconds remaining. Milwaukee's Khris Middleton ended the scoring by making two free throws with 15.8 seconds to go
Chicago shot 18.4% (7 of 38) from beyond the arc and the Bucks made 19.4% (6 of 31) of their attempts.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan praised his team's effort even on a poor shooting night, as they played for the fourth game in a row without injured guards Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine.
Donovan was more frustrated about a hard foul on Chicago's Alex Caruso in the middle of the third quarter, which resulted in Allen's disapproval. As the Bulls guard headed towards the basket, Allen was called for a clear foul 2 against Caruso.
"For Alex to be on the air and (Alan) to take him down like this, he could have ended his career," Donovan said. "(Alan) has a history of it. He, to me, was really dangerous. I really hope the league keeps a close eye on something like this because he could have been really, really seriously hurt ( Caruso).
Caruso landed on his right side and lay on the floor under the basket for a few minutes before continuing in the game.
"Dude grabbed me by the air," Caruso said.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer had a different view.
"I think Grayson (did) didn't do anything malicious, went to block the shot," Budenholzer said. "I think it's a close call, and they openly went with 2. I'm not going to disagree. It's right on the border and that's the direction they went."
The first of four scheduled matchups this season was a straight match between the defending NBA champion Bucks and the Central Division-leading Bulls that featured 16 lead changes and 15 ties.
No team has ever led more than seven.
DeRozan, who scored 17 of 18 in free-throw attempts, hit a jumper in the final minute of the third quarter to put the Bulls 67-66 ahead. The Bulls took a four-point lead at the start of the final period, but the Bucks responded and did well with 7:24 on Antetokounmpo's free throw.
"We talk about versatility in many different ways," Budenholzer said. "And I think you have to be versatile in the kind of games you can win. I'm so proud of the guys for finding a way to win tonight. We had to earn that."
Middleton had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Bucks, while Bobby Portis added 12 points and 13 rebounds. Jew Holiday scored 13 points.
Nikola Vucevi had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls. Matt Thomas added 11 points and got 3 out of 5 on 3-point attempts.
Tip-ins
Bulls: Donovan said Ball expects to have surgery next week. The Bulls announced on Thursday that Ball's injury would require surgery. The ball is expected to heal for 6 to 8 weeks after surgery. ... Donovan said that LaVine has responded well to his treatment, but he doesn't have an exact date of return in mind.
Bucks: Holiday comes off the bench for the second straight game as the Bucks continue to monitor his minutes. Holiday returned to action on Wednesday against Memphis after missing five games with pain in his left ankle. ... The Bucks are 18-3 when they have Antetokounmpo, Holiday and Middleton on the floor.
Next
Bulls: In Orlando on Sunday. The Bulls defeated the Magic 123–88 in Orlando on November 26 and 102–98 in Chicago on January 3.
Bucks: Host the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. The Bucks have won their last 10 meetings with the Kings and have not lost to them since February 1, 2016.