Bucks advance to second round with 4-1 series win over Bulls

The Milwaukee Bucks have defeated the Chicago Bulls in Game 5 to win the first round matchup 4-1 and advance to the second round. The Bucks dropped Game 2 of the series, but won three straight contests to secure a spot in the conference semifinals. They’ll meet the Boston Celtics, who are fresh off a sweep of the Brooklyn Nets in the first round.

The Bucks likely won’t have Khris Middleton for the beginning of this series as he’s recovering from a MCL sprain. Middleton was set to re-evaluated two weeks after the injury, which he suffered in Game 2. While the Bucks have played well without him, it’ll be tough for them to be viewed as favorites against the Celtics if Middleton doesn’t play in the series. Grayson Allen and Bobby Portis have stepped up tremendously in his absence.

As for the Bulls, they eventually ran out of steam. Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso didn’t play in the final game, which further dampened Chicago’s chances. The Bulls weren’t clicking defensively either, allowing Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee’s three-point shooters to get too many open looks. That’ll be something the front office will look at when tweaking this roster in the offseason.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Bucks are +700 to win the NBA title.