Draft:Bucks-Bulls rivalry

The Bucks–Bulls rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls. The rivalry began in 1968 when the Milwaukee Bucks joined the NBA as an expansion team. Both teams play in the Central Division in the Eastern Conference. The two cities are known for their geographic proximity being only 92 miles (148 KM) apart and connected by Interstate 94 (I-94).

1968-1983: Early Years
When the Milwaukee Bucks joined the NBA in 1968 the teams were in separate Divisions. The Bucks were placed in the Eastern Division and the Bulls in the Western Division. The first meeting between the two teams came in the Bucks' inaugural NBA game on October 16, 1968. That inaugural game was won by the Bulls and led to them taking the overall series lead during the early years of the rivalry.

The rivalry began to heat up in the 1970-71 NBA season when expansion and realignment placed both teams in the Midwest Division of the Western Conference. The Bucks quickly rose to prominence due to hall-of-fame players Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, and Bob Dandridge. This success culminated with Milwaukee winning its first NBA championship in 1971. The Bucks dominated the Bulls throughout most of the 1970s going 41-20 in their head-to-head matchups and took the overall series lead for the first time in the 1972-73 NBA season.

1984-1998: Michael Jordan Era and Bulls Dynasty
In the 1984 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls selected Michael Jordan with the third overall pick. Jordan led the Bulls to six NBA championships and two three-peats from 1991-1993 and 1996-1998. Although Milwaukee was not as competitive, games between the two teams were physical and intense. Jordan would put up dominant performances against the Bucks several times throughout his career. Notably, he played 66 games against Milwaukee and averaged 32.3 points with a 125 offensive rating. During this era, the Bulls regained the overall series lead against the Bucks on January 17, 1997, for the first time since the 1970-71 NBA season with a record of 87-85.

2000s: Rebuilding and dormancy
During the early 2000s, the rivalry became dormant as the Bulls began to rebuild after the departure of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and head coach Phil Jackson. After the 1998 NBA Finals the Bulls would not make the playoffs again until 2005. In contrast to the Bulls' struggles, the Milwaukee Bucks were regular playoff contenders during the early 2000s. The Bucks, led by their "Big Three" of Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson, and Sam Cassell, formed a competitive trio in the eastern conference. They reached the 2001 Eastern Conference finals losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in seven games.

2010-Present: Bucks 2nd NBA championship
After a period of dormancy, the rivalry picked up again. The Bulls won the NBA draft lottery and selected Derrick Rose with the first pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. A few years later in the 2013 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks selected Giannis Antetokounmpo with the 15th overall pick. Both players made an immediate impact in turning their respective team's fortunes around. This led to the teams meeting in the 2015 NBA playoffs, their first playoff series since 1990.

In the following years, Antetokounmpo emerged as one of the top players in the NBA. The Bucks continued building around him adding key players like Jrue Holliday, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez. In 2021 the Bucks won their second NBA championship and first in 50 years.

1974 Western Conference finals
This was the first playoff meeting between the two teams and their only playoff series in the Western Conference. After winning convincingly in a 4-0 sweep the Bucks would go on to lose the 1974 NBA Finals in 7 games to the Boston Celtics.

1985 Eastern Conference first Round
This was the second playoff meeting between the two teams and the first series since joining the Eastern Conference. The Bucks faced off against a young and inexperienced Bulls team led by Michael Jordan in his first playoff series. The Bucks proved to be too much for the Bulls and won the series 3-1.

1990 Eastern Conference First round
This was the third playoff meeting between the two teams. Unlike the 1985 series, the Bulls had the advantage because of their young core built around Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. The Bulls won the series 3-1. After winning the series the Bulls advanced to the conference finals losing to the Detroit Pistons in seven games.

2015 Eastern Conference first round
This was the fourth playoff meeting between the two teams and the first in 25 years. The Bulls being led by Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler faced off against a young Bucks team with an up-and-coming Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bulls won the series 4-2.

2022 Eastern Conference first round
This was the fifth and most recent playoff meeting between the two teams. The Bucks came into this series as the defending NBA champions. The Bulls struggled offensively in the series as they could only score over 100 points in two of the five games. The Bulls were outmatched for most of the series and lost 4-1. During the series Bucks players Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis went down with injuries in game two causing them to miss a few games in the next round and lose to the Boston Celtics in seven games.