While it was no surprise the Chicago Bulls beat the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff game, the rise of Derrick Rose caught a few people off guard. The point guard has only been back on the court for a handful of games since sitting out following another knee injury, but Rose showed no signs of injuries as he led the charge for Chicago and will be the x-factor to a deep run. Now the Bucks hope to counter the rise of the point guard as Game 2 is set for tip off.
Rose was in the spotlight in Game 1. The point guard stepped up in a big way with 23 points and seven assists in the big win on Saturday. It was his first playoff game in nearly three year, but he certainly showed no signs of nerves or issues. With Rose out over the past three seasons, the Bulls have only managed to muster a 7-15 record in the postseason. However, that could easily change this year as Rose looks great and is ready for a deep run.
Rose's stellar performance paired well with Jimmy Butler who put up 25 points in a career-high night. Pau Gasol was the all-around star with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Gasol looked every bit the playoff veteran as he is shooting 41.9 percent in his last seven postseason games. Gasol's rise worked well as Joakim Noah is still playing on limited minutes following his injuries this year.
The Bucks showed very few signs of life against a Bulls' defense that is holding opponents to just 89.4 points per game and 39.1 percent shooting in the past five games. The Bucks have yet to manage more than 85.3 points per game against Chicago in their past seven of eight matches. The team is currently on a seven-game losing streak in the playoffs, something they would like to break as soon as possible.
The issue for the Bucks is experience. Saturday's game was the first playoff game for players like Michael Carter-Williams, Khris Meddleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The trio shot a combined 34.9 percent. If the team is going to get a win against the talented Bulls, those players must improve their numbers.
Watch Bulls vs. Bucks Game 2 live stream, click here.
