Apr 18, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) shoots against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the fourth quarter in game one of the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at United Center. Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
CHICAGO — Jimmy Butler scored 25 points, Derrick Rose had 23 and the Chicago Bulls overcame 19 turnovers in a 103-91 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on Saturday night at the United Center.
The series resumes Monday night in Chicago.
Despite the struggles with turning the ball over, the Bulls — who also got 13 points from reserve forward Aaron Brooks — maintained a double-digit lead throughout the fourth quarter. The Bucks struggled from the field, shooting only 39.3 percent.
After trailing by nine points at the half, Milwaukee drew to 62-59 with 8:35 remaining in the third quarter on a layup by guard Khris Middleton. But the Bulls reeled off seven straight points capped by a Rose 3-pointer to rebuild their lead to 10. Two Rose free throws with 3:26 remaining in the third quarter extended Chicago’s lead to 81-68.
Rose finished 9 of 16 from the field and had seven assists.
The Bucks, led by Middleton’s 18 points, never got the deficit below double digits the rest of the way. Forward Ersan Illyasova finished with 15 points, and forwards John Henson and Giannis Antetokounmpo each had 12.
Chicago led 60-51 at halftime behind Butler, who paced a balanced attack with 17 first-half points.
Rose, making his first postseason appearance since April 28, 2012, scored 10 of his 12 first-half points in the second quarter. He sat for just more than half of the first quarter and was 1 of 3 from the field before hitting all five of his second-quarter shots.
Brooks, who beat the first-quarter buzzer with an off-balance 3-pointer that banked in to give Chicago a one-point lead, rounded out the Bulls’ double-digit scorers with 10 first-half points.
NOTES: Bulls F Joakim Noah returned to the lineup after missing two games with hamstring tendinitis and G Kirk Hinrich remained out with a left knee injury. … The Bulls, who have won eight straight at the United Center, have a 37-28 Game 1 playoff record, including a 30-7 home mark. … Bulls F Pau Gasol averaged 24.3 points on .547 shooting from the field in four games against Milwaukee during the regular season and 19.6 points on .491 shooting against the rest of the league. … The Bucks, who were 41-41 in the regular season, experienced a 26-game turnaround under first-year coach Jason Kidd. The turnaround ranks only behind Milwaukee’s 29-game reversal in 1969-70 season as the best in franchise history. During the previous season, Milwaukee won only 27 of 82 games. … Seven of Milwaukee’s 15 players have previous playoff experience, including F John Henson and F Ersan Ilyasova, who were on the roster when Milwaukee last made the postseason in the 2012-13 season.
