The Chicago Bulls pretty much expect Derrick Rose to win his head-to-head matchup at point guard, but the Milwaukee Bucks are starting to hope Brandon Jennings can do the same, and especially on the bigger stages. The Central Division rivalry between the Bulls and Bucks continues on Saturday night in Milwaukee, and although the contests always seem to be tight, Chicago has won five consecutive games in the matchup.
After dropping a tough road game to the Philadelphia 76ers back on Wednesday 98-82, Derrick Rose and the Bulls responded with a well-deserved win against the Knicks in front of a national TV audience. Rose has now scored 30+ points in four of the last five games, including his 34-point performance in a win over the Bucks last Friday.
As for Brandon Jennings and Milwaukee, they are still under .500 but have saved their best performances for top teams -- with wins over the Spurs, Heat (2x) and Lakers, but losses to the Bobcats and Pistons mixed in. Jennings has been the catalyst in wins, averaging 23.7 points on 43.5 percent shooting and 5.9 assists over his last ten games, highlighted by a 31-point game (with 7 made threes) in a win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday. Even so, the Bucks still managed to lose to the lowly Detroit Pistons on Friday night.
Luol Deng will be a game-time decision (torn ligament in left wrist), and the Bulls defense has been noticeable less impactful with their starting SF on the sidelines. Chicago's first-round pick, Jimmy Butler, filled in for Deng admirably as a wing defender in crunch time against the Knicks, and he returns to Milwaukee -- where he played college basketball at Marquette -- for the first time on Saturday night.
Here is some basic information to help you find the game:
Game day/time: 7:30 PM CT, Saturday, February 4, 2012
Location: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
TV: WGN, FSN-WI
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this matchup, head over to Blog a Bull and Brew Hoop. For more from around the NBA, check out SB Nation's NBA news hub.