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Milwaukee • Mike Dunleavy scored 20 points and the Chicago Bulls came close to an NBA playoff record, finally putting away the Milwaukee Bucks with a 120-66 victory in Game 6 to clinch their first-round series Thursday night.
The Bulls, who move on to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round, finished four points away from the NBA playoff record for largest margin of victory. Minnesota beat St. Louis 133-75 on March 19, 1956.
The game was over early, but it still featured plenty of the intensity and bad blood that marked the first five games of the series and Dunleavy was in the middle of much of the action. He drew the foul that led to the ejection of Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo for a flagrant 2 foul just before halftime.
Pau Gasol scored 19 points and Jimmy Butler added 16 for the Bulls, who started the series with a 3-0 lead before two straight wins by the defensive-minded Bucks put them back in position to tie it.
In an indication of Milwaukee's misery, no Bucks starter scored more than ZaZa Pachulia's eight points.
Antetokounmpo was ejected after a hard foul on Dunleavy during a 3-point attempt that sent him crashing into the front row of fans with 1:34 left in the second quarter. After a review, officials ruled it a flagrant 2. It may have been a reaction to a hand to the face that Dunleavy gave Antetokounmpo a little earlier in the game — an incident similar to contact between Dunleavy's arm and Michael Carter-Williams' face near the beginning of the game.
Dunleavy and Carter-Williams tangled again in the third quarter. Dunleavy bumped Carter-Williams, and Carter-Williams retaliated by swinging his left arm and sending Dunleavy to the court. Dunleavy was called for an offensive foul, and Carter-Williams earned a technical. —
Bulls 120 Bucks 66
Chicago 34 31 26 29 — 120
Milwaukee 16 17 19 14 — 66
CHICAGO (120)
Dunleavy 5-7 6-6 20, Gasol 8-12 3-5 19, Noah 5-7 1-2 11, Rose 6-14 0-0 15, Butler 7-14 0-0 16, Gibson 4-8 1-1 9, Brooks 3-7 0-0 8, Hinrich 2-5 0-0 5, Mirotic 1-3 0-0 2, Snell 2-5 0-0 5, Mohammed 1-3 0-0 2, McDermott 1-3 2-2 5, Moore 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 46-90 13-16 120.
MILWAUKEE (66)
Antetokounmpo 2-6 1-2 5, Ilyasova 3-6 1-2 7, Pachulia 2-4 4-4 8, Carter-Williams 1-6 1-2 3, Middleton 2-7 2-2 6, Bayless 2-6 1-2 7, Mayo 2-8 0-0 4, Henson 2-3 0-2 4, Dudley 2-3 1-1 6, Ennis 2-9 0-0 5, Plumlee 1-8 1-2 3, O'Bryant 3-8 0-0 6, Gutierrez 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 25-76 12-19 66.
3-Point Goals—Chicago 15-30 (Dunleavy 4-6, Rose 3-7, Brooks 2-3, Butler 2-5, Moore 1-1, Snell 1-2, McDermott 1-2, Hinrich 1-2, Mirotic 0-2), Milwaukee 4-19 (Bayless 2-5, Dudley 1-1, Ennis 1-5, Ilyasova 0-2, Middleton 0-3, Mayo 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Chicago 59 (Noah 10), Milwaukee 46 (Plumlee 6). Assists—Chicago 31 (Rose 7), Milwaukee 17 (Bayless 5). Total Fouls—Chicago 14, Milwaukee 17. Technicals—Carter-Williams, Mayo. Flagrant Fouls—Antetokounmpo. Ejected— Antetokounmpo. A—18,717 (18,717).