The Bulls have been reeling on the road, finishing the annual circus road trip with five straight losses. Monday's loss to Milwaukee was an improvement, because the Bulls' previous four defeats were all by at least 15 points. Against the Bucks, the Bulls rallied from 14 points down and led 89-87 with 4:28 remaining. So the effort was better. Now the Bulls will be looking to snap their losing streak when they play at the United Center for the first time in 18 days.
"Yeah, I guess I'm happy the circus is out of town," center Joakim Noah said. "It's going to be exciting to play in our building."
Next up is the Detroit Pistons' first visit this season on Wednesday. This matchup was expected to be Ben Gordon's first time at the United Center in an opposing uniform, but the former Bulls shooting guard has missed the last two games because of a sprained ankle.
Gordon spent five seasons with the Bulls and was their leading scorer the last four. After a couple of summers of failing to connect on a new contract, Gordon agreed to a deal averaging $11.5 million per year with the Pistons on July 1, the first day of free agent negotiating.
The Bulls are clearly missing Gordon's offensive prowess, but their defense has improved this season. Because he's an undersized shooting guard generously listed at 6-foot-3, the Bulls believed Gordon wasn't a great fit next to Derrick Rose in the backcourt. They acquired 6-6 John Salmons last February to bring more size to the position.
Before his injury, Gordon was off to a good start, averaging 19.8 points and shooting 44 percent from the field. The Pistons have struggled, though, with veterans Richard Hamilton (ankle) and Tayshaun Prince (back) both missing significant time because of injuries.
Another ex-Bull playing for Detroit is center Ben Wallace, who returned to the Pistons, where he had his greatest success.
BUCKS 99, BULLS 97: The Bulls came back strong after getting off to a slow start in Milwaukee on Monday, but they couldn't make enough plays down the stretch and lost at the Bradley Center. After opening their annual circus road trip with a win at Sacramento, the Bulls lost the last five games of the excursion.
Thanks to a barrage of three-point baskets in the third quarter, the Bucks opened a 14-point lead. Bulls guard Derrick Rose (19 points) led a comeback and the visitors went ahead 89-87 with 4:28 remaining. But the Bulls scored just one point on their next five possessions, and Milwaukee took a 95-90 edge with 1:08 remaining. The Bulls had a chance to tie at the end, but center Brad Miller's 18-foot jumper fell short at the buzzer.
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