CHICAGO – The Milwaukee Bucks try to bounce back from a disappointing loss on Thursday night as they face the struggling Chicago Bulls at the United Center on Saturday night.

The Bucks just beat the Bulls on their home court, 112-91, on Dec. 23. This will be the fourth and final regular-season game between the teams. Chicago (13-18) has lost three in a row and five of eight. Milwaukee (16-13) has won five of its last eight.

Is Giannis playing?

No. The Bucks’ MVP candidate has been out of action since Dec. 20, first with back spasms (Dec. 21-23) and then with an illness (Dec. 26). He began the day as questionable to play with that illness but was not seen at shootaround in the afternoon. He was ruled out as the team arrived to the United Center.

What is the Bucks record without Giannis?

3-2

Damian Lillard will try to play vs. Bulls

The all-star point guard is also questionable to play with the illness that has been going around the locker room for the better part of December — but he said at shootaround on Saturday morning he’d like to give it a go tonight. The Bucks have gone 2-2 without him in the lineup over the last week.

“Couple days ago, I tried to work out — the night before the Brooklyn game (on Dec. 26) — because I wanted to play against Brooklyn, but I mean, the whole time I was working out, it just kept making me cough, coughing up (expletive),” he said. “I got through the workout, but I couldn’t breathe good.

“So, the last couple days, that’s all I’ve been doing. Just trying to work that stuff out and it’s still been like having me super-winded, but I mean, I guess at some point, you just gotta get out there and burn it out. So, that’s what my plan is, at least.”

Lillard acknowledged that he lost a couple of pounds because he didn’t eat for a few days and stayed hydrated. He also said he sweated profusely as he recovered. It was anything but just sitting home and resting.

“I (expletive) wish it was that,” he said. “I’ll tell you that. I was just telling them earlier, like I’ve never been that sick before in my entire life. Like I’ve never been that sick before in my entire life. I wasn’t throwing up, nothing. I just didn’t eat for two days. I didn’t eat at all. I didn’t get up, nothing. I was down. It was bad.”

Lillard has not played a regular-season game since Dec. 14 when the Bucks beat Atlanta in the Emirates NBA Cup semifinal in Las Vegas, and it was in that game when he aggravated his right calf muscle. He played on it — and tweaked the muscle again — in the NBA Cup final against Oklahoma City on Dec. 17.

He was then immediately ruled out for the Bucks’ next two regular-season games with a strain in the calf on Dec. 20-21. While he admitted in Las Vegas that anytime he suffers a calf injury there may be some concern (he strained the calf in 2022 in Portland and strained his right Achilles last playoffs) he said this wasn’t that bad and he is recovered from it.

“It wasn’t; it was a mild strain to begin with,” Lillard said. “I did it against Atlanta in Vegas. It happened against Atlanta. I just tweaked it in the championship game to where it was like I’m going to miss; depending on when our next one is and how I feel I’m going to miss that one and the one after that. But we got on that.

“We had been on top of that right away, so even when I tried to get back on the court it was like a little bit tight because I hadn’t been moving, but it was alright. I didn’t have no issues.”

Lillard missed three previous games with a concussion from Nov. 12-16.

More: Bobby Portis starts campaign to get AJ Green into three-point contest

Bucks injury report

• AJ Johnson, out (non-COVID illness)
• Giannis Antetokounmpo, out (non-COVID illness)
• Damian Lillard, questionable (non-COVID illness)
• Andre Jackson Jr., probable (right ankle sprain)
• Khris Middleton, probable (offseason surgery on both ankles)

Bucks probable starters

• Guards: Damian Lillard, Andre Jackson Jr.
• Forwards: Bobby Portis Jr., Khris Middleton
• Center: Brook Lopez

Bucks vs. Bulls odds, over/under

Milwaukee is a 3.5-point favorite over Chicago and the over/under for the game is 230.5 points per BetMGM.

What channel are the Bucks on?

The game will be broadcast locally on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin with Lisa Byington, Steve Novak and Melanie Ricks on the call.

MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee County prosecutors charged a man who they say was confused for a hospital valet driver – and drove off in someone’s car anyway – on Saturday, Dec. 21. 

Court records show 28-year-old Jessie Reyes-Fleischmann is now accused of operating a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent and misdemeanor obstructing an officer.

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According to a criminal complaint, the victim was unloading his car outside Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center on Milwaukee’s south side and saw two men standing outside. The victim said he thought the men were valet drivers, and he handed one of them his car keys.

When the victim later spoke to medical staff about retrieving his car, court filings state he was informed the hospital does not have a valet service. The victim then realized his car had been taken, and he reported it stolen to MPD.

In custody

Early the next morning, Greenfield police located and pulled over the stolen car. Prosecutors said the driver, later identified Reyes-Fleischmann, initially gave officers a fake name. His true identity was not learned until he was booked.

During an interview, the complaint states Reyes-Fleischmann told police he asked the victim at the hospital if he needed help. The victim then handed over his keys and said “can somebody take my car.” He said he got in and started driving around, but admitted he should have told the man no – that he was “stupid” and should’ve just parked the car.

Court records show Reyes-Fleischmann made his initial court appearance on Thursday. His bond was set at $1,500.

MILWAUKEE – Matt Murray stopped a season-high 43 shots and Kieffer Bellows scored a pair of goals to lead the Admirals to a 4-1 win over the Wolves on Friday night.

Ryan Ufko and Ozzy Wiesblatt also lit the lamp for the Ads, who snapped Chicago’s six-game winning streak in the process.

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Murray made 29 saves over the final two periods and backstopped the Admirals to a perfect 4-for-4 performance on the penalty kill. It was the eighth win of the season for Murray, who has allowed just one goal in four of his past five starts.

The Admirals jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first period, courtesy of goals from Bellows and Ufko. Bellows notched his team-leading 11th goal of the season at 11:25 of the opening frame when he collected the rebound of a Fedor Svechkov goal and slid it five-hole past Spencer Martin.

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Ufko lit the lamp with just 57 seconds remaining in the first, scoring his second power-play marker of the season. The play started when Ozzy Wiesblatt carried the puck along the Chicago blueline and then fired a shot that Ufko deflected past Martin.

After a scoreless second period, Bellows got his second of the game at the 6:55 mark of the final period when he poked a loose puck ahead at the Ads’ blueline, skated in alone on Martin and reached the puck around the Wolves’ goalie as he was being hauled to the ground.

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Chicago’s Ronan Seeley spoiled Murray’s shutout bid when he scored on a one-timer with 1:06 to play before Wiesblatt iced things for Milwaukee with an empty-netter, his sixth goal of the season.

The Admirals and Wolves get right back at it as they wrap-up their home-and-home set on Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the Allstate Arena. Milwaukee’s next home game is Monday, Dec. 30.