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sports Friday 29 april 2022

Tougher challenge awaits defending champ Bucks in 2nd round

By STEVE MEGARGEE of the five games and shot
AP Sports Writer below 40% three times.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — After a "Team defense was great
bumpy beginning to their this whole series," Bucks
postseason, the defend- guard Wesley Matthews
ing champion Milwaukee said. "That's what we're go-
Bucks rediscovered their ing to need going into Bos-
championship form in plen- ton."
ty of time to dispose of the Milwaukee also needs
Chicago Bulls in their open- Antetokounmpo and the
ing-round series. players surrounding him
They likely won't make it to play as well as they did
past the next round unless against Chicago.
they're playing at this level Antetokounmpo averaged
right from the start. 28.6 points, 13.4 rebounds
The Bucks next face the siz- and 6.2 assists in the Bulls
zling Boston Celtics, who series. Bobby Portis had
swept the Brooklyn Nets in four double-doubles and
the opening round. Their collected a career-high 17
Eastern Conference semi- rebounds in Game 5. Gray-
final matchup begins Sun- son Allen had two games
day in Boston. of 20-plus points. Jrue Holi-
"They're the hottest team day, Brook Lopez and Pat
in the league," Bucks Connaughton each had
coach Mike Budenholzer one game with at least 20
said Wednesday after the points.
Bucks' 116-100 series-clinch- But that came against a
ing Game 5 victory over Bulls team that was miss-
the Chicago Bulls. "You'd Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo gets past Chicago Bulls' Ayo Dosunmu during the first ing Lonzo Ball since Janu-
have to be in a cave to half of Game 5 of their NBA playoff basketball game Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in Milwaukee. ary and didn't have either
not know they're winning Associated Press Zach LaVine or Alex Caruso
every game. They're the in Game 5. The Celtics are
best defense in the league, turn in Game 3 of the Celt- ticularly sharp in a 93-86 order for us to win games, much more dangerous.
got great players, great ics series May 7 in Milwau- Game 1 victory and a 114- we've got to play defense. The Celtics' sweep of the
coaching." kee. 110 Game 2 loss, but the We've got to get down, Nets continued the mo-
The Bucks don't expect to The Bucks twice rallied from Bucks won the next three have that individual pride, mentum they established
have three-time All-Star for- a 2-0 deficit to win a play- games by an average of try to keep the guy in front the last few months of the
ward Khris Middleton avail- off series during their title 23.3 points. of us from scoring. And at regular season. Boston was
able for the start of the se- run last season, but they The Bucks took command the end of the day, we've below .500 in late January
ries. can't count on that hap- of the series by relying on got to do it together." but won 28 of its last 35 reg-
Middleton sprained the pening again. That means their defense. Defense had been a rela- ular-season games to finish
medial collateral ligament the Bucks must try to con- "Obviously we don't know tive weakness for Milwau- 51-31 and earn the NBA's
in his left knee in Game 2 tinue performing as well how many points we're go- kee during the regular sea- No. 2 seed.
of the Bulls series and said without Middleton as they ing to score with Khris — one son, but it was no problem "It's going to be a battle,"
Friday he hoped to return did in the final three games of our best scorers — being at all against the Bulls. Matthews said. "They're
in two weeks. That timeline against the Bulls. out," Bucks forward Giannis The Bulls exceeded the a good team. But so are
would signal a potential re- Milwaukee didn't look par- Antetokounmpo said. "In 100-point mark in just one we."q

Ruud defeats Molcan to reach BMW Open quarterfinals

MUNICH (AP) — Casper dence for me to get these seeded Botic van de Zan-
Ruud took his time find- types of wins." dschulp in the quarterfinals
ing his rhythm as he beat The 23-year-old Ruud said after the Dutch player de-
Alex Molcan 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to he was especially pleased feated Egor Gerasimov 6-2,
reach the quarterfinals at to be playing well at the 6-3.
the BMW Open on Thurs- comparatively high alti- Germany's Oscar Otte
day. tude of Munich as prepa- managed the surprise of
Molcan built a 4-0 lead in ration for similar conditions the day by beating Reilly
the first set as Ruud strug- at the Madrid Open next Opelka of the United States
gled with his serve, but the week. 7-6 (4), 6-2. Opelka had
Norwegian clay-court spe- It was Ruud's opening two set points in the first set
cialist fought his way back match in Munich after get- but Otte saved them both
and broke Molcan at 4-4 in ting a first-round bye. At before taking the set to a
the decider before serving a career-high No. 7, the tiebreaker.
out the match. Norwegian is the highest- Otte's quarterfinal oppo-
"It was not the best start for ranked player left in the nent is Alejandro Tabilo,
me but I was able to find draw after Alexander who was leading 6-2, 2-6, Casper Ruud of Norway returns the ball to Alex Molcan of Slova-
kia at the ATP tennis tournament in Munich, Germany, Thursday,
my rhythm a little more as Zverev's surprise loss to 4-1 when Hugo Gaston April 28, 2022.
the match went on," Ruud 18-year-old Holger Rune on retired from their second- Associated Press
said. "(Molcan is) a tough Wednesday. round match. Otte cruised
player and good confi- Ruud will face eighth- past Tabilo 6-0, 6-3 when they played last week at the Serbia Open.q