LaVine, Donovan address playoff matchup vs. Bucks originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
MINNEAPOLIS — Bring on the Bucks.
The Chicago Bulls will face the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks in their first playoff appearance since 2017. Game 1 is set for Sunday in Milwaukee with a start time to be determined.
In the four-game, regular-season series, the Bucks prevailed all four times by four, six, 28 and 21 points.
“We get a lot of days to prepare,” Zach LaVine said. “Obviously, we’re going up against the defending champs. I think it’s a great opportunity. If we’re not going in confident or looking at it as 0-0 now… We have to come with our right mindset and get that dawg mentality.
“We’re a good team. We just have to start playing like it and bring that confidence to it. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
It will be exactly that. After leading the Eastern Conference as late as Feb. 25, the Bulls limped to the finish line with a 7-15 record and enter the playoffs with LaVine monitoring his balky left knee, Alex Caruso nursing a sore back and Lonzo Ball out.
The Bucks are confident to the point that they rested regulars in Sunday’s regular-season finale to drop to the No. 3 seed.
“They’re a very vet-savvy team. Obviously, they play with a bunch of confidence and physicality,” LaVine said. “They got Brook (Lopez) at the rim. Obviously, Giannis (Antetokounmpo) coming weakside and Jrue Holiday as well. They have a really good team and a complete team. I think we do as well. We just have to attack them and figure out ways to beat them.
“They’ve been a championship-caliber team for a couple years now. They’re experienced. We have to come in and try to shake it up a little bit. We have to try to bring the fight to them because if we’re back on our heels, it’s not going to be good.”
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Coach Billy Donovan and his staff began preparations on the charter flight home from the Bulls’ victorious, regular-season…