The Week Ahead: Two Looks at Chicago Before Milwaukee's…

By the Bucks Nightly Desk · Tuesday, October 13

Milwaukee hosts Chicago on Wednesday at Fiserv Forum, then closes its exhibition slate at Indiana before standings games begin next week. The Bucks will see the Bulls again before this month ends, making Wednesday's meeting a preview as much as a tune-up.

Bucks Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Oct. 11

The exhibition trip closed with a 90-105 loss at Charlotte, Milwaukee's second defeat in three tries. In the fallout, Taylor Jenkins has leaned harder on his reserves: Taurean Prince, Pete Nance and Jericho Sims have all seen their roles grow, with Nance up to 28.2 minutes a night over his last five games and Sims to 28.9 over his last ten.

Oct. 14

Chicago visits Fiserv Forum for the preseason finale, each side having rested two days since its last game — the second of back-to-back road games for the Bulls, who finished 31-51 last season behind Josh Giddey, Norman Powell and Matas Buzelis. Milwaukee gets reinforcements: Brayden Burries and Nate Ament, out with a left ankle issue, are both targeted to return for this one.

Oct. 16

The exhibition schedule closes two nights later in Indianapolis, where the Bucks face the Pacers for the last tune-up of the preseason. Milwaukee enters that stretch having played two games in the previous seven days to Chicago's three, a lighter workload heading into the final preseason week.

Oct. 21

The regular season opens on the road in Washington, the first game of Taylor Jenkins' tenure that will count toward a standing. It arrives seven days after the Bulls leave Fiserv Forum, closing out a preseason that began with a loss to Minnesota on Oct. 5 and a win at Oklahoma City two days later.

Oct. 23

Chicago returns to Fiserv Forum two days after the Washington opener, the Bucks' second look at the Bulls inside nine days. Between the preseason finale and that regular-season meeting, no opponent will be more familiar to Milwaukee this month.

Next The clock that matters is Oct. 21, in Washington — the day every preseason minute becomes background for a game in the standings.

When do the Bucks play the Chicago Bulls this week?

Milwaukee hosts Chicago at Fiserv Forum on Wednesday, Oct. 14, in the final home preseason game before the regular season opens.

When does the Bucks' regular season start?

Milwaukee opens the regular season on the road against the Washington Wizards on Oct. 21, with a rematch against Chicago at home on Oct. 23.