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Bulls vs. Bucks: 3 things you need to know

Jeff Hanisch / USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls clinched the third seed in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday night and earned a first-round meeting with the No. 6 Milwaukee Bucks

Here are three things you need to know before Saturday's Game 1: 

Derrick Rose is back

Derrick Rose could be the difference between domination and barely scraping by for Chicago. 

The Bulls point guard is slowly getting his groove back on the hardwood after he was missing in action since Feb. 24 because of surgery on his right knee. Although he has not looked like the 2011 MVP he once was in his five games back, he has helped his team by averaging 11.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and four assists.

Rose worried Bulls fans by choosing to sit out the second half of the Bulls win over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, citing soreness in his left knee, the same knee in which he had sustained a torn ACL in April 2012 in Game 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers

However, both he and coach Tom Thibodeau made it clear that a little soreness will not keep Rose from facing the Bucks.

The Bucks are well-coached

Milwaukee is a relatively inexperienced team when it comes to the postseason and the team has had a tough time against Chicago this season, winning only one game against the Bulls, who were without Rose. The sixth-seeded Bucks have improved since finishing as the team with the worst record in the NBA last season, but Milwaukee's three leading scorers have yet to play in a playoff game.

Enter coach Jason Kidd.

The first coach in NBA history to lead two franchises to the playoffs in his first two seasons, Kidd's confidence in his team has resulted in an unselfish offense and stout defense, and the team's best record since the 2009-10. 

Milwaukee boasts one of the league's best defensive ratings this year, with Kidd sticking to the long-ball style that he introduced to the Brooklyn Nets. The Bucks are No. 1 in opponents forced turnovers per game (16.6) under Kidd.

Bulls fans travel well

Game 3 may take place in the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Wisconsin, but the Bucks may have to battle for home-court advantage.  

It is nothing new for Bulls fans to make the trip up the I-94 from Chicago to get tickets for a Chicago-Milwaukee showdown at the Bradley Center. The Bulls have left Wisconsin victorious the last nine consecutive times they've visited. 

Starting Lineups

Position Bulls Bucks
PG Derrick Rose Michael Carter-Williams
SG Jimmy Butler Khris Middleton
SF Mike Dunleavy Giannis Antetokounmpo
PF Pau Gasol Ersan Ilyasova
C Joakim Noah Zaza Pachulia

Series Outlook

Date Time (ET) Location Network
Saturday April 18 7 p.m. Chicago ESPN
Monday April 20 8 p.m. Chicago TNT
Thursday April 23 8 p.m. Milwaukee NBA TV
Saturday April 25 5:30 p.m. Milwaukee TNT
*Monday April 27 TBD Chicago TBD
*Thursday April 30 TBD Milwaukee TBD
*Saturday May 2 TBD Chicago TNT

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