Rollins, Portis and Rivers speak on Bucks’ 120-110 win over Warriors
Ryan Rollins, Bobby Portis and Doc Rivers speak on the Bucks’ 120-110 win over the Warriors on Oct. 30, 2025 at Fiserv Forum.
The Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Sacramento Kings 135-133 after a late-game turnover by Giannis Antetokounmpo.Frustration with officiating was a key theme, with Bucks guard Cole Anthony being ejected and the team accumulating 26 fouls.Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists in the defeat.
The Milwaukee Bucks, for a short time, looked as though they might shoot their way to a big victory over the struggling Sacramento Kings on Nov. 1 at Fiserv Forum but instead found themselves in a dogfight before losing 135-133.
With a chance to give the Bucks the lead in the final seconds, Giannis Antetokounmpo drove into the paint and fired a pass to the corner, but it clipped a part of the basket and fell into the arms of Sacramento’s Dennis Schröder. Antetokounmpo dropped his head as Schröder brought the ball back up, forcing a foul by AJ Green to stop the clock. Schröder made the free throws, giving the Kings a 135-132 lead with 14.8 seconds left.
Green’s 3-point attempt with 5.3 seconds left came up short, and though Antetokounmpo tapped the miss out for a second chance, Green was fouled on the floor with 1.1 seconds left to prevent him from getting another chance to tie the game.
Green made the first free throw and intentionally missed the second, with Antetokounmpo shaking what appeared to be an intentional hold by Russell Westbrook as he raced in to try to get the rebound. Antetokounmpo wound up with the ball, but it was ripped from his hands as he tried to go up with it and there was no call.
The crowd fell into stunned silence and Antetokounmpo pleaded his case for a foul, but there was no whistle.
Milwaukee (4-2) led by as many as 15 early in the game and was making 70% of its shots. And while that type of efficiency is not sustainable, they couldn’t get any stops against a Kings team led by Zach Lavine (31 points), DeMar DeRozan (29) and Domantas Sabonis (24). Schröder added 24.
Six Bucks reached double figures in scoring, with Antetokounmpo scoring 26 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. He also had eight assists. Kyle Kuzma (22), Gary Trent Jr. (17), Green (17), Ryan Rollins (16) and Bobby Portis (16) also reached double figures.
Cole Anthony ejected, Bucks frustrated by referees
The Bucks were already down one point guard and ball handler in Kevin Porter Jr. (knee surgery) and then backup Cole Anthony was ejected in the fourth quarter after receiving two technical fouls for arguing with referees.
The Bucks were called for 26 fouls, and it appeared that not only were many of those whistles getting under their skin but so were many perceived non-calls on the Kings, though Sacramento was called for 21 fouls.
It got to the point Bucks head coach Doc Rivers challenged a foul call on Ryan Rollins on a DeMar DeRozan jumper with 5 minutes, 23 seconds left in the game. Unfortunately for Milwaukee, that call was upheld and DeRozan made both free throws.
Later Westbrook lost the ball out of bounds on a drive to the basket but Myles Turner was called for a foul. The Bucks were out of challenges at that point, and Turner and Rivers were exasperated as the two free throws gave the Kings a 131-127 lead. After the Bucks got within a basket, DeRozan fell down as he spun around Gary Trent Jr., and Trent was called for a foul, leading to more free throws.
And all that was just before the frustrating end-of-game sequence for Milwaukee.
Trent was also given a technical foul in the game after he was fouled byDeRozan. Portis received the first technical of the contest for Milwaukee for taunting.
Rivers has said throughout the preseason and start of the year that his team can, at times, get too caught up in talking and sometimes lets that go too far.
Russell Westbrook not called for a flagrant foul on Giannis
Early in the third quarter, Antetokounmpo was weaving his way down the court through multiple Sacramento defenders and as he readied to leap toward the rim, Westbrook grabbed him by the top of his left shoulder and then his neck and head while bear hugging him with his right arm.
Antetokounmpo still lifted off, briefly, before ultimately finishing the play with Westbrook wrapped around him.
Westbrook was called for a common foul. Per the NBA, a Flagrant 1 is considered unnecessary contact committed by a player against an opponent and a Flagrant 2 is considered unnecessary and excessive contact committed by a player against an opponent.
Trent took exception to the play on his teammate, and the play was eventually reviewed for an altercation – not a flagrant foul. After the review, no penalties were awarded to either team.
In the fourth quarter, Westbrook shoved Antetokounmpo after the Bucks star completed a jump stop and was preparing to shoot, but he was not awarded free throws. Late in the fourth, Westbrook once again grabbed Antetokounmpo around the arms to prevent him from going airborne, but in that instance the Bucks’ star did shoot free throws.
Bobby Portis and Domantas Sabonis have altercation
About halfway through the first quarter, Portis Jr. confronted Sabonis near halfcourt and had a heated exchange that required the players to be separated by teammates and Bucks security.
After a review, Portis was given a technical foul for taunting because he pointed a figure in Sabonis’ face.
Two plays prior to the confrontation, which happened after the Kings inbounded the ball following 3-pointer by Green, Sabonis and Portis were battling for a loose ball and Sabonis dived for it, hitting Portis in the knee. The Bucks’ forward limped back to half court trailing the play before the confrontation.
5 numbers
1: Technical free throw shot by Gary Trent Jr. when Ryan Rollins and AJ Green were on the floor following a transition take foul committed by Sacramento. Rollins took the technical free throw in Cleveland.
7:46: Left in the second quarter when the Bucks committed their first turnover of the game. They finished with 11 giveaways however.
11:47: Left in the third quarter when Sacramento took its first lead of the game, on a Zach LaVine 3-pointer. The Bucks had led from the opening possession, and by as many as 15 points, in the first half.
64.5: Bucks free throw percentage in the game (20-for-31). Milwaukee came into the game as the second-worst free throw shooting team at just 72.5%. While Giannis Antetokounmpo (64%) always brings the team average down, even good shooters like AJ Green (71%), Gary Trent Jr. (70%), Myles Turner (66%) and Cole Anthony (42.9%) have struggled on the year.
87.5: Kings free throw percentage on the game, as they went 35-for-40 from the free throw line.
What time is the Bucks game?
Tip off is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Is Giannis playing?
Yes. The Bucks star began the day as questionable to play with tendinopathy, or pain, in his left knee cap. He collided with Mikal Bridges late in the Bucks’ win over the New York Knicks on Oct. 28 and then was a late scratch against Golden State on Oct. 30.
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers was expecting him to play when he met with the media for his pregame media availability.
“I don’t think there’s more than in years past. I keep hearing that lately, that there’s this new workload. I think Giannis plays hard every night and plays physical. So, I don’t think there’s an extra workload. You can make a case because he’s bringing it up under no pressure, it may be less in some cases. But, because the way he plays and his size, you always have to be aware of everything. I mean, the guy gives you everything, his body to every game, so we manage it the best way we can.”
What is the Bucks record without Giannis?
1-0. The team went 8-7 without him last season.
Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. is having knee surgery
Starting point guard Kevin Porter Jr. tore the meniscus in his right knee during a workout on Oct. 30, and the Bucks announced that he will need surgery and be out about four weeks. Porter scored 10 points and had two assists in just nine minutes of play in the opener on Oct. 22 before severely spraining his left ankle, and he was just returning to court work when he suffered the knee injury.
“That was a tough one,” Rivers said. “(Porter) is huge for us. And, you know, in the first half that he played he was spectacular. I think he’s still going to have an unreal, breakout season as is Ryan (Rollins). But having him and Ryan and Cole (Anthony) was our plan, having that three-guard head, just the pace and the speed that we wanted to play at with those three guys and now we’ve taken one away. It’s a tough one for us. But we’ll figure it out. It cuts down the ball handlers. One of the things I like about our team is we have so many guys that can facilitate with (Kyle Kuzma), Ryan, Cole and Giannis. Now, taking (Porter) out of that. And that sets up all our shooting. We’ll figure it out, but it’s a blow for sure.”
Bucks injury reportKevin Porter Jr., out (right meniscus tear)Giannis Antetokounmpo, available (left patellar tendinopathy)Bucks startersGuards: Gary Trent Jr., AJ Green, Ryan RollinsForward: Giannis AntetokounmpoCenter: Myles TurnerWhat channel are the Bucks on?
The game will be broadcast locally on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin with Lisa Byington, Marques Johnson and Melanie Ricks on the call.
Bucks vs. Kings odds, over/under
Milwaukee is a 5.5-point favorite over Sacramento and the over/under is set at 233.5 points, per BetMGM.