Guard Zach LaVine knows Bulls need punch-first mentality against Bucks

The first-round series is set to start Sunday in Milwaukee. LaVine & Co. went winless against the defending NBA champions this season. If that trend is going to change, the Bulls’ mentality will have to change.

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“They’re experienced. We have to come in and try and shake it up a little bit,” the Bulls’ Zach LaVine said of the playoff matchup against the Bucks. “We have to bring the fight to them, because if we’re back on our heels it’s not going to be good.”

“They’re experienced. We have to come in and try and shake it up a little bit,” the Bulls’ Zach LaVine said of the playoff matchup against the Bucks. “We have to bring the fight to them, because if we’re back on our heels it’s not going to be good.”

Morry Gash/AP

Guard Zach LaVine wasn’t going to predict how the Bulls’ playoff series against the Bucks will end, but he knows how it needs to begin.

The Bulls must throw the first punch and keep punching.

If not?

“I feel like the [Bucks have] been a championship-caliber team for a couple of years now,’’ LaVine said. “They’re experienced. We have to come in and try to shake it up a little bit.

‘‘We have to bring the fight to them because if we’re back on our heels, it’s not going to be good.’’

And the results likely will mirror the regular-season series, which the Bucks swept. The Bulls were competitive in the first two games but were blown out in the last two.

It’s a trend that has been going on for a few seasons. The Bulls have a little less than a week to try to flip the script, with Game 1 scheduled for Sunday in Milwaukee. LaVine & Co. not only have to figure out how to slow down Giannis Antetokounmpo, but look in the mirror and figure out why they played so poorly against elite teams.

There will be a lot of film-watching and a lot of sweat but also a ton of soul-searching.

“We have a lot of guys that this is going to be new to them, so I think it’s a step in our next direction,’’ LaVine said. “We should be going at it full force and with confidence. Like I said at the end of [the loss to the Hornets], we’re a good team. We just have to start playing like it and bring that confidence to it. I’m looking forward to the challenge.’’

That’s easy for LaVine to say early in the week.

Milwaukee is a bad matchup for most opposing teams, but even more so for the Bulls.

They have a defensive stopper in Jrue Holiday who can bother LaVine or DeMar DeRozan without needing help. They have an underrated rim protector in Brook Lopez, who also has the ability to pull the Bulls’ defense out because of his three-point shooting. Khris Middleton is a clutch shot-maker, and then there’s Antetokounmpo, a two-way elite force whom the Bulls haven’t been able to slow down in years.

Every team has flaws, but Milwaukee has few.

“They’re a very vet-savvy team,’’ LaVine said. “Obviously, they play with a lot of confidence, physicality. They’ve got Brook at the rim, obviously Giannis coming weak side and Jrue Holiday, as well. They’ve got a really good team, a complete team. I think we do, as well. We’ve just got to attack them and figure out ways to beat them.’’

That process will start Tuesday after the Bulls got Monday off to rest up mentally and physically. The hope is LaVine (left knee) and Alex Caruso (back) will be full participants in all the practices, but that was still an unknown.

What is known? Milwaukee will make the Bulls pay for any in-game slippage. If the underdogs don’t come in with a punch-first mentality, a sweep is likely.

“I think it’s more about us and how we play,’’ second-year forward Patrick Williams said. “We can’t really worry about them. We have to lock into our habits. I think it’s more making sure we’re connected offensively and defensively. We’ve shown when we are connected on both ends of the floor and all the guys are connected, we’re pretty good. At that point, it just turns into, ‘Let’s play.’ ’’

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