Bulls Go to Next Round : NBA playoffs: Chicago plays tough inside and clinches series in Milwaukee, 110-86.

The Chicago Bulls said they would get tough and they didn’t back down on their promise Thursday night.

Bumping, banging and checking the Milwaukee Bucks, the Bulls rode a 22-5 second-quarter run and some rough defense to a 110-86 victory to clinch the best-of-five, opening-round NBA playoff series in four games.

“It was a trench game and a warfare game,” Bull Coach Phil Jackson said. “We hadn’t played great defense this series. We talked about not letting them get to the basket for easy ones.”

The Bulls will face the winner of Saturday’s Cleveland-Philadelphia game in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Bulls, promising to be more physical to reciprocate for what they felt was rough play and hard fouls from the Bucks in the first three games, clamped down in the final seven minutes of the second quarter and took control.

Chicago, led by 11 points from Michael Jordan, outscored the Bucks, 22-5, in those seven minutes, taking a 56-39 halftime lead.

Milwaukee managed one field goal in the final 7:37 of the first half, that a three-point shot by Brad Lohaus with 56 seconds to go. Chicago then held the Bucks to only two third-quarter field goals, pulling ahead, 84-60, going into the fourth quarter.

The Bucks shot only 35% (27 of 77) for the game.

“We defended ourselves pretty well,” Jordan said. “We went out with a physical attitude and did what we had to do.”

Jordan finished with 25 points despite mildly twisting his knee and ankle.

“We knew if we were going to excel past this team we were going to have to get just as tough. We plugged up the lane. Any time a guy would drive we had two or three guys collapsing on the ball.”

Scottie Pippen added 20 points for Chicago, which has beaten the Bucks 20 times in 23 games.

Alvin Robertson led Milwaukee with 20 points.

“They dominated us on our home court,” Buck Coach Del Harris said.