MILWAUKEE _ Asked before tipoff who would draw the NBA's toughest defensive assignment, coach Fred Hoiberg paused.
"Well," he said, "probably all five of our guys."
At times the Bulls could have used six to contain the 6-11 Giannis Antetokounmpo. He entered the game with MVP numbers _ 29.9 points (54.6 percent shooting), 10.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists _ and did not disappoint Friday, finishing with 29 points, 16 boards and four assists.
But it was not enough against a Bulls team that emerged with a 115-109 victory. That's five straight for a team that many figured would finish with the NBA's worst record.
Nikola Mirotic has said repeatedly that he has been the difference in the Bulls' remarkable run following a 3-20 start. He was not at his best Friday, going scoreless in the first quarter.
But he drained a 3-pointer off a pass from Kris Dunn to give the Bulls a 109-106 lead with 2:42 to play. And he made a shot with a far higher degree of difficulty after that _ an off-balance, high-off-the-glass awkward layup while getting fouled.
And when he wasn't putting the ball through the hoop, Bobby Portis was. Portis scored a career-high 27 points, making 9 of 16 from the field. He also grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds.
Robin Lopez (18 points) and Dunn (17 points, seven assists) also excelled. Mirotic finished with 22 points.
Antetokounmpo was sensational for the Bucks, but the Bulls limited him to four points in the final quarter.
