The Milwaukee Bucks dropped a game they absolutely should have won, falling 132-125 to the Chicago Bulls. Forget the score for a sec; this was a game choked away by turnovers and missed free throws, pure and simple. What makes it sting even more? The Bulls were one of the few teams they had a legit chance to beat this early in the season. This is a major blow, for sure, and now a long stretch of opponents with realistic playoff aspirations looms. Oof.
Rollins’ Early Season Skid Continues
Ryan Rollins’ early season struggles are NOT getting better, folks. He clocked 33 minutes in this one, but it felt like more pain than progress. Sure, his floor game was a tiny bit better than against Washington, but his offense? Nonexistent when they really needed it. He started 1/5 in the first half and just never found his rhythm. Eleven points, seven boards, six assists, okay, but those FOUR turnovers, man, especially three of them coming in the fourth quarter? That’s killer. He was 3/9 from the field and only 2/8 from deep. The article straight up says, “if Rollins plays like Rollins, the Bucks probably have two wins right now.” That’s a D-grade performance, and honestly, that’s being generous after a loss like this.
Herro Shines, Jaquez Shows Flashes Amidst Turnover Woes
Thank goodness for Tyler Herro, because he’s the only bright spot in this whole mess. The guy was out there for 31 minutes, dropped 34 points, snagged 5 rebounds, dished out 4 assists, and only had ONE turnover. He was 12/24 from the field, 5/10 from three. That’s an A- grade, no question. Herro is just filling it up, playing with a methodical pace, treating every possession with purpose and precision. He uses great cadence to catch the ball in the right spots and change pace off screens. And he even stepped up to lead the fourth-quarter charge. He’s efficient, he plays a solid floor game, and he doesn’t cough up the ball. The dude is carrying this team right now.
Then there’s Jaime Jaquez Jr., who had a really solid game if you can squint past the turnovers. He got 19 points, 5 assists, and a massive 11 rebounds in 35 minutes. He shot well from the field (7/11) and from deep (2/3). But man, those SIX turnovers. The article mentions he “tried to do too much,” even specifically calling out one “no-pass possession in the fourth” that was frustrating. He made some “nifty passes” too, like a slip pass to Kuzma and a lob to Ware, which is cool. But then he goes 3/6 from the charity stripe after hitting efficiently from deep. That’s a B, but those turnovers are a killer, seriously.
Kuzma’s Improvement, a Small Victory
Kyle Kuzma looked “absolutely better” in his 29 minutes, dropping 14 points, 4 assists, and 9 boards with ZERO turnovers. He shot 6/12 from the field and 2/5 from three, and the writer liked the perimeter shots he was taking. Low bar, sure, but zero turnovers is a huge deal when your team is losing because of them.
This loss is a tough pill to swallow, especially given the upcoming gauntlet of teams. The Bucks needed this one, badly, to build momentum and confidence. Instead, they handed it over with sloppy play. They have to figure out how to protect the ball, hit their free throws, and get consistent scoring from more than just Herro before this early season hole gets too deep to climb out of. The heat is on, big time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Brew Hoop.
Leave a Reply