BULLS BEAT BUCKS BEHIND DEROZAN'S 41 POINTS, TIE SERIES 1-1

The Bulls, losers of 15 of their last 23 games since All-Star break and swept 4-0 by the Bucks this season in losing 16 of the last 17 between the teams,

 rocking and rolling with now potential home court advantage in the first-round playoff series after Wednesday's 114-110 victory in Milwaukee.

"We had a long season, a lot of adversity," agreed Alex Caruso, who was part of that with six weeks off from a flagrant foul by Milwaukee's Grayson Allen.

"It was almost a little bit of (saying). ‘Start the playoffs already.' We were in a hole, but we got our spirit back.

We talked to each other about the opportunity we had in front of us: It's the playoffs! You've got to get up and play, and if not you shouldn't play.

The Bulls did most of those things in Game 1 in narrowly losing after taking a third quarter lead and toggling with Milwaukee though most of the fourth Sunday before falling back.

There was no such retreat Wednesday in Game 2 as the Bulls dominated from a 9-0 start, led pretty much all game 

Game 2 Loss to the Celtics Has the Nets Grasping at Straws