Former Warriors guard gets ultimate revenge as Bucks shock without Giannis

The Milwaukee Bucks have delivered a shock victory over the Golden State Warriors without star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, with young guard Ryan Rollins getting the ultimate revenge with a career-high night against his former team.

Rollins was huge throughout the game and particularly in the fourth-quarter, leaving the Warriors in his dust with 32 points, three rebounds and eight assists in a 120-110 victory at Fiserv Forum on Thursday.

Ryan Rollins got his ultimate revenge against the Warriors

Rollins shot an incredible 13-of-21 from the floor and 5-of-7 from 3-point range, mixing his blistering speed to the rim with a series of clutch jump-shots as Golden State were left with no answer for the 23-year-old who they initially drafted 44th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft.

The Warriors might have let the foot off the pedal once Antetokounmpo was a confirmed out an hour before the game, at least that's what it looked like with a lackluster defensive effort after keeping the L.A. Clippers to just 79 points less than 48 hours earlier.

The Bucks found open shooters all over the place -- largely down to Rollins' paint penetration -- and shot 19-of-46 (41.3%) from beyond the arc. It's the fourth time in six games the Warriors have given up 118 points or more, suggesting some ongoing concerns with their defense to start the season.

Stephen Curry finished with a team-high 27 points for Golden State on 8-of-19 shooting from the floor and 4-of-10 from beyond the arc, while Jonathan Kuminga poured in 24 points, eight rebounds and four assists on 7-of-11 shooting in nearly 34 minutes.

However, Curry and Kuminga also combined to commit 10 of the team's 19 turnovers, proving a major difference as Milwaukee finished with just 12. The Warriors also shot only 42.4% from the floor and 34.2% from beyond the arc, having scored just 52 points in the second-half after being down 60-58 at half-time.

Jimmy Butler had 23 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in nearly 37 minutes, but no other Golden State player scored in double figures during the 10-point loss. It's a rough result for the visitors who were so impressive over back-to-back wins against the Memphis Grizzlies and Clippers to start the week.

As for Rollins, his impressive and remarkable rise continues after being traded by the Warriors in 2023 and then waived by the Washington Wizards less than 12 months later. He's now broke his career-high in scoring in back-to-back games and is an early contender for Most Improved player.