Michael Tagicakibau and Braam Steyn went over for the hosts wit

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Bucks kick off a stretch of three straight home-and-home sets Wednesday when they host the Chicago Bulls at the Bradley Center.The Bucks face Chicago on back-to-back nights and do the same next Tuesday and Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. They wrap up that stretch with games against Washington to bookend the Christmas holiday.Its a daunting challenge for the Bucks, who lost three in a row after winning six of eight contests to move to two games above .500.Its hard to beat an NBA team back-to-back, Bucks coach Jason Kidd said Wednesday. Its tough to beat a team twice in 48 hours, no matter who youre playing. LeBron (James), Chicago, Brooklyn but were professionals. Everybody has pride, and everybody wants to win.Chicago comes into the game looking to bounce back after blowing a 21-point lead and falling 99-94 to Minnesota on Tuesday night at the United Center.Jimmy Butler finished with 27 points and nine rebounds in the contest while Dwyane Wade dished out eight assists but was ejected down the stretch for arguing with the officials.Butler, who like Wade played collegiately in Milwaukee for Marquette, has been red-hot of late, averaging 25.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists over his last eight games.In 17 career games against the Bucks, Butler averages 13.4 points per game on 47.5 percent shooting.Jimmy Butler is playing at a very high level, Kidd said.Point guard Rajon Rondo sat out the Minnesota game with an ankle injury and will be a game-time decision Thursday at Milwaukee.Jerian Grant started in Rondos place and played 19 minutes while Isaiah Canaan covered another 27 minutes off the bench.Rondo was having one of his best practices of the year (Monday), Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg told the Chicago Tribue. He was all over the place. He was talking, he was cutting, he was moving. And it was kind of a freak play right at the end of practice. He didnt really land on anybody. Just kind of landed on it wrong and tweaked it.Its point tender right now. Hes limping pretty good. Hopefully with a couple more treatments the next few days well get him back for the Milwaukee games (Thursday and Friday).Chicago will be without point guard Michael-Carter Williams, who was dealt to the Bulls by Milwaukee during training camp but missed the last month with a sore left wrist.In exchange for Carter-Williams, Milwaukee acquired Tony Snell, who started 22 games and averaged 8.3 points with 4.2 rebounds. Snell is struggling of late especially from 3-point range, going 5 for 23 in his last five games.Three-pointers are a problem of late for the Bucks defense. Milwaukee was leading the league in defensive 3-point percentage but dropped to second after the Raptors made 14 of 25 attempts Tuesday in Toronto.The Bulls, meanwhile, are 30th in the league shooting the 3 (30.7 percent) but make up for that shortcoming inside.This is a team that puts a lot of pressure on you in the paint and mid-range, Kidd said. We cant give them threes.And weve got to protect the paint.The Bulls won three straight against Milwaukee. Adidas NMD Human Race NZ . And follow TSN.ca right through Deadline Day for all the updates. From Pierre LeBrun While Anaheim GM Bob Murray said earlier this season he was not going to trade Jonas Hiller despite the fact hes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, some sources have told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun that Murray might be willing to move another goalie. Adidas NMD R1 New Zealand . Q: Team Canada announces their Olympic roster three weeks from today. Who is general manager Steve Yzerman watching? LeBrun: Over the last 48 hours, hes taken in the home-and-home between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche with Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene being the obvious targets. http://www.nmdshoesnz.com/adidas-superstar-cheap-nz/superstar-womens.html . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. Adidas Falcon New Zealand . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. X_Plr Shoes NZ . The third-ranked Ivanovic, who won the event in 2008 and 10, served five aces and broke Wickmayer, also a former winner in 2009, five times. "The result looked easier than it really was," Ivanovic said. Rhun Williams and Willis Halaholo scored debut tries as Cardiff Blues came from behind to record a 34-28 Guinness PRO12 victory over Benetton Treviso.Macauley Cook also crossed for the Blues, while fly-half Steven Shingler converted two of the tries and added five penalties.Dean Budd, Alberto Sgarbi, Michael Tagicakibau and Braam Steyn went over for the hosts with Jayden Hayward converting one and Ian McKinley the other three.Williams opened the scoring after eight minutes and Shinglers conversion made it 7-0 before the hosts turned things around, with tries from Budd and Sgarbi giving them a 14-7 advantage.A pair of penalties from Shingler brought Cardiff to within a point but Tagicakibau crossed in the corner and a superb conversion from McKinlley stretched the advantage for the Italians.ddddddddddddShinglers third penalty of the evening sent the sides into the interval with Treviso holding a 21-16 lead.Treviso secured the bonus point when a cross-field kick found Steyn in acres of space to touch down and McKinley added the extras for a 28-16 lead.But Cardiff responded quickly and Cook went over in the 52nd minute and another Shingler penalty brought them right back into the game.Halaholo then showed quick feet to dance in for a try that put Cardiff ahead and Shinglers conversion made it 31-28.A fifth penalty of the evening from Shingler made the game safe. ' ' '