The Milwaukee Bucks made a statement on their home floor Tuesday night with a 121-111 win over the star-powered Knicks. They held the Knicks to 42.4% shooting and allowed only nine fastbreak points. Power forward Karl Anthony-Towns was reduced to a non-factor.
Meanwhile, they shot 54.4% from the field, got out in transition (24 fastbreak points), and surged ahead late in the fourth quarter as Giannis Antetokounmpo took over the arena.
The Greek Freak delivered another signature performance, but Ryan Rollins, too, rose to the occasion again in place of the injured Kevin Porter Jr. as the starting point guard. A force on both ends of the floor, on this night he grabbed the spotlight with his offensive efforts in particular as he poured in a career-high 25 points – all with a split, bleeding lip. Consider it a statement game for the Bucks and Rollins both.
23-year-old Rollins is out there playing like a leader
Rollins’ confidence as a facilitator is growing before fans’ eyes. Not only is he bringing the ball up the court and involving his teammates, he is aggressively pressuring the defense and creating high-quality looks for perimeter shooters and cutters in the paint.
Oct 28, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins (13) takes a shot against New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek (13) in the second quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The body language of his teammates suggests that they are also confident in his ability, despite limited experience, to run the offense. Late in the game against the Knicks, Giannis was comfortable ceding to Rollins as the primary facilitator on a number of possessions. That’s not what Bucks fans would necessarily expect out of their point-forward floor general, but Rollins has proven himself worthy.
His final line on Tuesday: 25 points on 8-11 from the field, 4-4 from beyond the arc, 4 assists, and 4 steals. He was a perfect 5-5 at the line. On top of that, he was tasked with guarding Jalen Brunson and played most of the game with a split lip after being hit in the mouth on a defensive play less than two minutes in.
Rollins left the game and retreated to the locker room to tend to the injury, but he was back on the floor, smiling wide, before the end of the first quarter. After scoring the Bucks’ first six points of the game on a pair of threes, after re-entering the contest Rollins proceeded to finish what he started with an impressive overall performance.
Apr 3, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins (13) warms up before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Given the significance of the opponent and national TV stage, it was easily the best performance of his young career. In fact, Rollins has played so well in Porter’s absence that Doc Rivers could be faced with a real decision as to who his starter is once Porter returns fully healthy.
In four games this season, Rollins is averaging 15.3 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.0 steals on 47.6% from the field. He has turned it over a very tolerable 2.3 times per game and hasn’t missed a free throw in 14 attempts. He has played phenomenal defense. It’s early, but he sure looks like a starter so far.
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