The Milwaukee Bucks held off the Chicago Bulls 97-92 at Fiserv Forum on Friday, October 23, 2026, picking up the franchise's first win of a season that opened without Giannis Antetokounmpo on the roster for the first time in more than a decade.
The victory arrives months after one of the most significant moves in recent NBA history. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was traded to the Miami Heat, with the Heat acquiring Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from the Bucks in exchange for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakučionis, along with a heavy package of draft picks. The two-time MVP had anchored Milwaukee's identity for thirteen seasons, and his exit left new head coach Taylor Jenkins to rebuild the roster around the players who came back in that deal.
Tyler Herro front and centre in Milwaukee
Nobody from that trade has drawn more attention early on than Herro, who is quickly becoming the engine of Jenkins' offence.
A hot start in his Fiserv Forum debut
In the Bucks' regular-season opener three days earlier, Herro led Milwaukee with 24 points and nine assists, connecting on four three-pointers, even though the team fell to the Washington Wizards. Jaime Jaquez Jr., another piece of the return package, also made an immediate impact in that game.
Carrying the form into the rivalry game
Against Chicago, Herro picked up where he left off. Coach Taylor Jenkins' Bucks squared off with Tiago Splitter's Bulls as Josh Giddey's pregame injury status was revealed, and Herro went right at Giddey from the opening minutes. He racked up nine points in nine minutes, including a backdoor cut assisted by centre Myles Turner, helping Milwaukee build an early cushion that held up for the win. Analysts following the team noted Herro's hot start against the Bulls suggested Jenkins may have found a new go-to scorer to build around.
Splitter's Bulls still searching for answers
For Chicago, the loss extended a rough start to the Tiago Splitter era. It was a difficult debut for new Bulls head coach Tiago Splitter, who took over for Billy Donovan during the offseason, as Chicago struggled to establish any offensive consistency in a lopsided season-opening loss to the Toronto Raptors two nights earlier. In that opener, Chicago fell 135-92 to Toronto, with Matas Buzelis leading the Bulls with 17 points while rookie Caleb Wilson added 16 points in his NBA debut.
Friday's defeat to Milwaukee dropped the Bulls to 0-2. Norman Powell and Jalen Smith each scored 15 points for Chicago, while Josh Giddey finished with six assists but managed just two points as the team continued to search for offensive rhythm under its new coaching staff.
A rivalry with history behind it
Friday's matchup also carried some series weight. The Bucks trailed Chicago 138-137 in the all-time series entering the game, though Milwaukee had won three of the previous four meetings, with the Bulls taking the most recent contest 120-97 on March 1. The win snaps that recent run in Milwaukee's favour and gives Jenkins his first victory as Bucks head coach.
What comes next
Friday marked the Bucks' first home game without Antetokounmpo on the roster since the 2012-13 season, with Jenkins having been searching for his first win after the team's own opening loss to Washington. With that win now secured, Milwaukee moves to 1-1 as it continues integrating the pieces acquired in the Antetokounmpo trade, while Chicago looks for its first victory of the season under Splitter.
The early-season turbulence in both cities is part of a broader stretch of change across basketball this fall, following a WNBA season that closed with a record-breaking MVP night south of the border. For now, attention in the Central Division stays on how quickly Jenkins' Bucks and Splitter's Bulls can find their footing in their respective new eras.