Apr 19, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) shoots the ball while Milwaukee Bucks center Jericho Sims (00) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Former Knicks Center Getting Bigger Role With Bucks

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Geoff Maggliocchetti | Last updated Apr 26, 2025 11:15 AM ET

The Milwaukee Bucks called to Jericho and the former New York Knicks center rose to the occasion.

A busy night from Jericho Sims coincided with the Bucks' first win of the 2025 postseason, as the ex-New Yorker played just under 15 minutes in the 117-101 win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night. The fifth-ranked Bucks trail No. 4 Indiana 2-1 in the best-of-seven set but found some footing in the series thanks to part to a sterling relief effort from Sims.

"He's been fantastic. He's our Swiss Army knife," lauded Rivers after Game 3, per Kris Pursiainen of ClutchPoints. "When we go to that switching scheme, he's key to it...when he first came, he told me he could guard anybody and he may be right, you know? Because he's been showing that."

Bucks HC Doc Rivers postgame on Jericho Sims:

"He's been fantastic. He's our Swiss Army knife. When we go to that switching scheme, he's key to it...when he first came, he told me he could guard anybody. And he may be right, you know? Because he's been showing that." pic.twitter.com/TQcnT6pBpF
— Kris Pursiainen (@krispursiainen) April 26, 2025

Milwaukee guaranteed itself at least a Game 5 with a little extra trust in Sims: after standing as one of the rare Bucks with a positive plus/minus in the futile first two games, the backup center made the most of his new opportunity with eight points and four points, with half of his boards providing second chances for the Bucks. Sims also continued to play strong defense in the interior, helping prevent an Indiana comeback after the Bucks struggled to break away in the first half.

Friday marked the second-busiest night of his playoff career to date, as he got just under16 minutes in Game 4 of last year's conference semifinals, also against Indiana, ironically enough.

Sims was a Knicks for the first three-plus years of his career before he was dealt to Milwaukee in exchange for Delon Wright at last February's trade deadline. While Wright has played sparingly in New York, both sides are seeing benefits: Wright helped the Knicks overcome late regular season injuries in the backcourt while Milwaukee may have found a postseason gem that helps them find franchise stability.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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