The Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls squared off for the 274th time in their storied rivalry on February 3, 2026, at Fiserv Forum. While the Bulls held a razor-thin 137-136 edge in the all-time series entering the night, both teams limped into this matchup shorthanded and with plenty of off-court drama swirling around them. The Bulls, who had dropped both previous meetings against the Bucks this season, were hoping to finally notch a win in the season series—though they’d have to do it with a patchwork lineup and several fresh faces following a flurry of trade deadline moves.
The Bucks, meanwhile, were desperate to snap a five-game losing streak, their longest of the season, and get back on track in the Eastern Conference playoff race. But any hopes of an easy turnaround were dashed by the continued absence of their superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak missed his fourth straight game with a right calf strain, a blow compounded by the fact that he’d torched the Bulls for an average of 35 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 5 assists in their two previous meetings. As if that wasn’t enough, Milwaukee was also without second-leading scorer Kevin Porter Jr., who’s been sidelined since January 21 with a nagging oblique injury and remains out indefinitely. Head coach Doc Rivers didn’t mince words before tipoff: “He’s not gonna play anytime soon.”
Adding to the intrigue, Antetokounmpo’s name has been swirling in trade rumors, with Minnesota reportedly showing significant interest. The Bucks, for their part, began clearing roster space and cap room by sending veteran guard Mike Conley Jr. to Chicago in a three-team deal. While Antetokounmpo is expected to return to the lineup in early March if he remains with Milwaukee, both the front office and the fanbase are holding their breath as the trade deadline approaches. As Rivers put it, there’s “no timetable” for Giannis’s return, and the uncertainty has cast a long shadow over the team’s playoff hopes.
The Bulls weren’t immune to roster upheaval, either. Just before the game, Chicago pulled off a series of trades that sent Nikola Vučević to Boston for scoring guard Anfernee Simons, and Dario Šarić and Kevin Huerter to Detroit in exchange for Jaden Ivey. Veteran point guard Conley, acquired in the three-team deal, was expected to provide some much-needed stability to a backcourt decimated by injuries. But with so many new faces and so little time to integrate them, head coach Billy Donovan faced a daunting challenge.
And the injury list? It was a veritable roll call of absentees. The Bulls were without Zach Collins (right toe sprain), Josh Giddey (left hamstring strain), and Tre Jones (left hamstring strain), all ruled out for the contest. Collins isn’t due for re-evaluation until mid-February, while Jones is set to be checked again on February 6. Giddey’s hamstring woes have been particularly stubborn—he returned to action on January 22 after missing 11 games, played four, and then landed back on the shelf with renewed tightness. Noa Essengue (shoulder surgery) was also out for the season, and Dario Šarić, recently acquired, was not with the team. To make matters worse, Kevin Huerter (back spasms), Julian Phillips (wrist sprain), and Jalen Smith (calf injury management) were all listed as questionable.
Milwaukee’s own injury woes were just as pronounced. In addition to Antetokounmpo and Porter Jr., the Bucks were missing Taurean Prince (neck surgery) and Gary Harris (hamstring strain). Bobby Portis Jr. was questionable with a right hip contusion, leaving Doc Rivers with precious few options. “We’ve got to find ways to compete, no matter who’s available,” Rivers said before the game. “That’s what this league is about.”
Despite the depleted rosters, the Bucks came out firing. They took a 39-24 lead after the first quarter, with Kyle Kuzma pouring in 11 points and AJ Green adding 9. Milwaukee shot a blistering 14-of-22 from the field, and Gary Trent Jr. knocked down a key three-pointer to extend the lead. With Chicago scrambling to adjust to its new rotations and missing several key contributors, the Bucks capitalized, pushing their advantage to 77-52 by halftime—a season-high for points in a half. Ryan Rollins orchestrated the offense brilliantly, racking up 7 assists and 13 points by the break, while Myles Turner and AJ Green chipped in with double-digit scoring.
Chicago, meanwhile, struggled to find rhythm. Kobe White led the charge with 20 points, but the absence of Vučević and the ongoing integration of new arrivals like Conley and Ivey left the Bulls searching for answers. The Bulls’ offense, which averages 117.2 points per game, was stymied by Milwaukee’s length and energy. Still, Chicago’s resilience showed in the third quarter, as they outscored the Bucks 37-28 to cut the deficit to 105-89 entering the final frame. “We’ve got to keep battling, no matter what the lineup looks like,” Donovan said. “Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us.”
For the Bucks, the effort was a testament to their depth. Rivers played nine deep midway through the second quarter and had 10 of 11 available players see the floor by halftime. Andre Jackson Jr. electrified the crowd with a breakaway dunk, and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Giannis’s older brother, was the only player yet to check in by the half. Kuzma finished the third quarter with 25 points and 7 rebounds, while Rollins continued to shine as the team’s floor general, tallying 18 points and 9 assists. “We just wanted to come out and play hard—no matter who’s out there,” Rollins said postgame.
With both teams fighting for their postseason lives—the Bulls entered the night in ninth place in the East at 24-26, while the Bucks sat at 18-29 and 12th in the conference—every possession carried weight. The Bulls’ recent trades and injury woes forced them to lean on unfamiliar lineups, while the Bucks’ hopes rested on getting healthy and, perhaps, holding onto their franchise cornerstone through the trade deadline.
As the final quarter began, the Bucks maintained their lead, but the outcome remained up in the air. Would Milwaukee finally snap its losing streak without Giannis? Could the Bulls’ new-look roster find its footing in time to steal a road win? With so much at stake, the intensity was palpable on both sidelines.
Ultimately, this latest chapter in the Bucks-Bulls rivalry was defined as much by who wasn’t on the court as by who was. Both teams faced adversity, both showed flashes of brilliance and grit, and both left fans eagerly awaiting not just the final buzzer, but the next round of trade deadline fireworks. One thing’s for sure: in the NBA, the only constant is change—and neither Milwaukee nor Chicago is backing down from the challenge.