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MILWAUKEE -- With a national television audience getting a rare opportunity to see the Bucks, Milwaukee's duo of young stars put on a strong performance Thursday night against the Chicago Bulls. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and Jabari Parker added 28 for the Bucks, who led from wire to wire but still had to hold off a late comeback attempt by the Bulls before emerging with a 108-97 victory.
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"Protecting a lead is hard to do in this league," said Bucks coach Jason Kidd, whose team snapped a three-game losing streak. "You have to keep playing. But tip your cap to the guys; they kept playing."
Antetokounmpo and Parker didn't need much time to heat up, scoring 12 each in the first quarter. Both hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first half as Milwaukee connected on eight of 10 from long distance while shooting 55.1 percent from the floor. The Bucks led by as many as 27 before going into halftime up 64-45.
"They really got after us early," Bulls guard Dwyane Wade said. "They made eight threes in the first half; that is not on our scouting report for them to make eight threes. Then they also got transition points, so they got everything they wanted early in the first half."
Wade scored just four in the first half and added four more in the third quarter as the Bulls' struggles continued. However, Chicago caught fire in the fourth, with Wade leading the way, and started to chip away at the deficit.
Wade missed a pair of free throws with 9:46 remaining but soon drained a 7-foot jumper that sparked a 10-0 Bulls run. Wade himself scored eight during the stretch and assisted on another basket as Chicago made it a 12-point game with 7:14 to play.
Milwaukee snapped its scoring drought on a put-back by Antetokounmpo with six minutes left, only for Chicago to challenge once more and make it an eight-point game with 3:04 to go on Jimmy Butler's first 3-pointer of the night.
Chicago would make just one more shot the rest of the way. The Bucks blocked a pair of shots down the stretch, then pushed the lead back into double digits on Matthew Dellavedova's 3-pointer with 1:34 remaining.
"We came into halftime and we said to ourselves that we've been in that spot before and we relaxed and lost the game," Antetokounmpo said. "We didn't want to do that today. It was a must-win game, and we needed to win, and I think everybody did a great job keeping the lead.
"It's hard to keep a lead for 20-24 minutes -- for a half. It's hard sometimes. I think everybody did a good job holding the lead."
Butler led the Bulls with 21 points but went 6 of 16 from the field. Wade scored 20, and Taj Gibson added 19 points but had only two in the second half.
"We finally starting fighting and got ourselves back," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. "We gave ourselves an opportunity to win the game, down eight with the ball, and I thought we had an open look we turned down."
Milwaukee hit 11 of 20 3-point attempts and shot 47.4 percent from the field. Chicago connected at a 47.3 percent clip but made only five of 19 3-point tries and gave up 25 points on 17 turnovers.
"We had a good run there in the fourth quarter to try to push it, but we are going to have to play better defensively tomorrow against this team," Wade said.
The two teams will meet again Friday night in Chicago.
NOTES: PG Rajon Rando returned to the Bulls' starting lineup and finished with five points, five rebounds and eight assists. Rondo tweaked his left ankle at the team's practice Monday afternoon and did not play Tuesday night in a 99-94 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. ... Milwaukee F Michael Beasley (sore foot) did not play. ... Bucks G Tony Snell, acquired from the Bulls in a preseason trade, is 6 of 25 on 3-point attempts in his past six games after going 1 of 2 on Thursday. ... G Michael Carter-Williams, whom Chicago received in exchange for Snell, has appeared in just three games this season because of a bone bruise in his left knee and a sprained left wrist. He could return to action as early as next week, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said.
