Bucks Crush Knicks Advancing to In-Season Semi-Finals
The first time these two teams faced each other, it happened to be the first game of the In-Season Tournament and a great game as the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the New York Knicks by just five points. Last night there was much intensity in the air, both teams were hungry to win, and the winner of this matchup would head to Las Vegas to play the Indiana Pacers during the semi-final matchup of the In-Season Tournament. During the first half, these two teams went back and forth at each other as there were several ties and lead changes through the first two quarters. Milwaukee was red-hot shooting the ball in the first half, but in the second half, they were unstoppable. The Bucks finished this game shooting 60 percent from the field and three-point range. We’ll see the Bucks and Pacers face off on Thursday to determine which Eastern Conference team will make the In-Season Tournament finals. Let’s check out how the Bucks dominated this matchup.
From the moment these two teams did the jump ball at half court, they were aggressive and willing to do anything to win. Even with all the ties and lead changes, the Bucks would have a two-point lead at the end of the first quarter. New York kept themselves in the game, even with the Bucks shooting the ball magnificently. Milwaukee held a 75-72 lead at halftime. They shot 65 percent from the field compared to the Knicks' 58 percent, and their three-point shooting was just insane, as the Bucks went 12 for 17 from three in the first half, equaling up to a ridiculous 70 percent. The Knicks were able to keep themselves in this ball game due to their free-throw shooting and Julius Randle. New York would go 17 for 18 from the line, and Randle would be perfect from the field in the first half going 9-9 with 25 points.
As close as the first half was, the second half was a completely different story. Milwaukee outscored New York by 13 in the third and 12 in the fourth quarter. The Knicks went 12 for 15 during the second half from the free-throw line, which is great, but they didn’t attack the basket as much as they did in the first half. Also, this Knicks team just couldn’t outshoot this scorching Bucks squad. In the second half, New York shot 40 percent from the field, and 30 percent from three, compared to Milwaukee 56 percent from the field, and 52 percent from beyond the arc. The Knicks put a lot of effort into this one, but they were simply no match for this Bucks team that showed why they could be a championship contender last night, as Milwaukee defeated New York for the second time this season 146-122. The 146 points New York let up yesterday is the most points the Knicks have given up since 1979.
Giannis Antetokounmpo finished the game with 35 points in addition to eight rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals. Damian Lillard was also big against New York having 28 points, three rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block. Lillard went five for seven from three, and Malik Beasley got all his 18 points from beyond the arc going 6 for 10. Julius Randle finished with a game-high 41 points along with six rebounds, and five assists. Jalen Brunson scored 24 and RJ Barrett dropped 23 in the loss. We’ll next see the Knicks play the Boston Celtics on Friday, while the Bucks or Pacers will play for the first-ever NBA Cup!
