The Milwaukee Bucks opened their NBA Cup title defense with a commanding reminder of why the tournament has run through them since its inception, riding a monstrous 41-point, 15-rebound, nine-assist night from Giannis Antetokounmpo to take down the Chicago Bulls 126-110 on Friday. Milwaukee remained perfect in group play across the event’s three-year history, and Antetokounmpo once again delivered the late-game separation, erupting for 19 fourth-quarter points as the Bucks pushed the lead out of reach.
Myles Turner turned in his best scoring performance since arriving in Milwaukee with 23 points, while Ryan Rollins added a sharp 20 off the bench to bolster the attack. Chicago stayed competitive behind Matas Buzelis’ 20-point outing and another near triple-double from Josh Giddey, who entered with back-to-back triple-doubles, but the Bulls couldn’t keep pace once Milwaukee’s decisive third-quarter push and Giannis’ closing burst took hold.
This was a game that showed us a lot from star players, so let’s go through the player ratings of the key members of both sides.
Milwaukee Bucks Player Ratings
Giannis Antetokounmpo: A+
Game Stats: 41 PTS, 15 REB, 9 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 4 TO, 16-32 FG, 1-3 3PT, 8-11 FT, 37 MIN
Giannis delivered a classic takeover performance, overwhelming Chicago with constant pressure at the rim, elite playmaking, and dominant rebounding. His 41 points came on high-volume efficiency, and he consistently created advantages that kept the Bulls scrambling. Nearly posting a triple-double while adding four stocks (steals + blocks) shows how thoroughly he controlled every phase of the game. Easily, Giannis was named player of the game.
Myles Turner: A
Game Stats: 23 PTS, 8 REB, 0 AST, 4 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO, 8-14 FG, 5-8 3PT, 2-3 FT, 31 MIN
Turner was sensational as Milwaukee’s floor-stretching big, torching Chicago’s defense with five threes and providing outstanding activity on the defensive end. The four steals speak to how disruptive he was jumping passing lanes, and his shooting gave Milwaukee a lethal inside-out dynamic alongside Giannis. Considering how Nikola Vucevic struggled to impact the game on a superstar level as he did in previous games, Turner had an excellent performance.
Ryan Rollins: A
Game Stats: 20 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO, 7-13 FG, 4-6 3PT, 2-2 FT, 31 MIN
Rollins was outstanding as Milwaukee’s secondary scorer, burying four threes and flashing confidence as a shot-creator. His defensive energy popped with three steals and a block, and his overall efficiency made him one of the biggest swing players in the Bucks’ victory. Yet another strong offensive performance by Rollins, a young player who is coming into his own this season.
Bobby Portis: B-
Game Stats: 7 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 3-5 FG, 1-2 3PT, 0-0 FT, 20 MIN
Portis gave Milwaukee his trademark energy, hitting shots efficiently and grabbing tough rebounds. He wasn’t a major focal point, but his presence stabilized the second unit and kept the Bucks steady during their rotational minutes. We expected Portis to play more mibutes than he did but was effective in limited time.
Kyle Kuzma: B-
Game Stats: 11 PTS, 8 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 0 TO, 4-6 FG, 1-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, 28 MIN
Kuzma provided exactly what Milwaukee needed off the bench: scoring bursts, physical rebounding, and steady two-way play. His efficiency and activity made him a strong positive, reflected in his +14. A B- grade is what Bucks fans will hope for from Kuzma going forward because he has the skills to post in double-digits scoring against most opponents.
Cole Anthony: B-
Game Stats: 11 PTS, 2 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 5-14 FG, 1-5 3PT, 0-0 FT, 22 MIN
Anthony brought shot creation and playmaking to the second unit, producing 11 points and five assists while attacking the paint and pushing pace. His efficiency fluctuated, but his energy and control of the offense were strong. A B- is given for the fact that Anthony kept the offense humming around Giannis when he was in control of possession.
AJ Green: C+
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO, 2-8 FG, 2-8 3PT, 0-0 FT, 35 MIN
Green’s shooting didn’t fall at a high clip, but he made up for it with playmaking and smart connective passing, finishing with five assists. He rebounded well for his position and delivered disciplined defense, giving the Bucks hustle and structure throughout his minutes. His stats don’t jump out of the page for a player who played 35 minutes, but his energy was there.
Chicago Bulls Player Ratings
Josh Giddey: A-
Game Stats: 16 PTS, 7 REB, 14 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 4 TO, 6-14 FG, 2-5 3PT, 2-4 FT, 35 MIN
Giddey nearly delivered another triple-double, orchestrating Chicago’s offense with 14 assists and showing more confidence from three. His turnovers hurt at times, but overall he kept Chicago functional offensively and was one of their few steady creators. Without Giddey moving the ball like he did, the Bulls would have got blown out by a much larger margin.
Matas Buzelis: B+
Game Stats: 20 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 3 TO, 8-13 FG, 2-6 3PT, 2-2 FT, 36 MIN
Buzelis was Chicago’s most impactful all-around performer on both ends, scoring efficiently, rebounding aggressively, and adding three meaningful defensive plays. Even in a loss, he played poised and productive basketball, showing star-level flashes. Buzelis didn’t do much wrong on either end of the floor and was easily the most productive player in a nutshell behind Josh Giddey.
Nikola Vucevic: B
Game Stats: 16 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 2 TO, 7-13 FG, 2-3 3PT, 0-0 FT, 31 MIN
Vucevic gave Chicago reliable scoring and solid rebounding, hitting from both inside and beyond the arc. Defensively he struggled at times with Milwaukee’s spacing, but his offensive steadiness kept the Bulls competitive early. Vucevic has had better performances throughout the season than this one, and credit should go to Myles Turner and the Bucks frontcourt for slowing him down enough.
Tre Jones: B
Game Stats: 17 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 6-10 FG, 0-2 3PT, 5-6 FT, 29 MIN
Jones was efficient and controlled, scoring 17 points on 60% shooting while distributing well and avoiding turnovers. He gave Chicago needed composure, though his lack of three-point threat tightened Milwaukee’s coverage. Perhaps Jones should look to take more threes to open the game up a little more, but he had a solid game regardless.
Kevin Huerter: B-
Game Stats: 13 PTS, 3 REB, 5 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 3 TO, 5-14 FG, 1-6 3PT, 2-2 FT, 23 MIN
Huerter provided scoring and useful secondary playmaking, though his 1-for-6 night from three hurt Chicago’s spacing. Still, he contributed more than most reserves and showed some defensive presence with a block. Huerter is a player who can contribute beyond the stat sheet but he did not have a bad performance by any means.
Jalen Smith: C+
Game Stats: 7 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 3-6 FG, 0-2 3PT, 1-2 FT, 17 MIN
Smith supplied decent energy off the bench with rebounding and complementary scoring. His defensive impact, however, wasn’t consistent enough to slow Milwaukee’s frontcourt. Smith was still effective in a decent spurt and put up a solid statline on both ends of the court against a very difficult opponent.
Patrick Williams: C+
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 6 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 2-6 FG, 2-4 3PT, 0-0 FT, 23 MIN
Williams knocked down two threes and battled on the boards, but his offensive passivity and limited defensive disruption made this a middling performance overall. Considering he played quite a few minutes and tried to slow Giannis down as much as he could, he doesn’t get more than an average score.
