Milwaukee Bucks vs New York Knicks- The Knockout Round Commences
Let’s have some fun tonight Milwaukee! To say we are in “uncharted territory” feels like an understatement!
The (14-6) Milwaukee Bucks take on the (12-7) New York Knicks Friday Night in downtown Milwaukee at the beer keg, the beautiful Fiserv forum at the Deer District. The Milwaukee Bucks are (9-1) at home and for good reason; the fan support so far this season has been excellent!
Milwaukee beat the Knicks on November, 3rd 110-105. That game was at home. In that contest Jalen Brunson torched the Bucks for 45 points. But the Bucks have Damian Lillard now and he really closed that game out and down for Milwaukee.
So far even the most casual NBA fans have seemed to enjoy the NBA Regular In-Season Tournament. The Semi-Finals will be in Las Vegas (lost wages) Thursday night and the NBA Cup will be decided on Saturday, also in Vegas.
Related: Game One Knick/Bucks Preview
Vegas has the Bucks at a 61% chance to win this game against the Knicks and 4.5 point favorites. This is a game the Bucks should win. A win will send them to Vegas and will help solidify a nice start to the season, in spite of the questions surrounding new head coach Adrian Griffin and if Giannis and Dame could co-exist.
Check out another game preview from a writer on this site below.
Related: Milwaukee Bucks Look to Win 1st Ever In-Season Tournament: Take on New York Knicks in Quarterfinal
Keys for the Milwaukee Bucks
Keep Rebounding the Ball as a Team
In game one against the Knicks on the 3rd of November, New York really outrebounded Milwaukee. The Knicks had 56 rebounds in that game while Milwaukee only had 41. It was a glaring difference between the two teams.
That can’t happen again.
The Bucks are a team that seems to be figuring out how to rebound. Last season they were a team that rebounded the ball well (they led the NBA in team rebounding) and then transitioned that rebound out to Giannis who would drive and kick to an open three point shooter. Or he’d just take the ball in and score.
This year has certainly been different.
Now Milwaukee is inconsistent in how they approach team-rebounding. They are 21st in the NBA in terms of team rebounding (43.8) Last season they had 48.6 team rebounds a game, good for best in the NBA.
Giannis, Bobby and Brook need to box out and get those rebounds. New York is a slower paced team. If the Bucks can control the glass they should fare better in the transition game.
Get Stops on Defense
Milwaukee has a defense that is beginning to improve. Right now Milwaukee is +3 in the +/- category meaning they are scoring 3 points more, on average per game, than their opponents.
Milwaukee seems to be switching more and seems to be having less moments where they “look lost”. That’s good, especially when you consider the Knicks don’t have a dynamic scorer like Dame or Giannis. Good defense involves active hands and beating the opponent to the spot they want. Milwaukee seems to be doing that more, especially in the 4th quarter of games.
When these two teams faced off in November the Bucks only got the Knicks to turn the ball over 10 times. They’ll need more defensive pressure than that.
Also, the Bucks have begun to play some more zone looks. For this team with its high-powered offense, that is an excellent idea.
Watch Their Turnovers
Against the Knicks on the 3rd of November in their first regular season meeting the Bucks only had 14 turnovers. On the season the team is only averaging 13.9 turnovers a game.
If that number is low, that would be a big indicator this team is taking this game seriously and is doing what they want to be able to do on offense.
The Opponent- The Knicks
The Knicks continue to have the identity that they are strong in the half-court, that they are strong on defense and play at a “slower pace”. They are 24th in the NBA in team scoring, averaging 110 points per game. (By contrast, Milwaukee is 3rd in the NBA in scoring, averaging 121.1 points a game).
The Knicks have some good players. Jalen Brunson is an excellent point guard. The former Maverick leads the team in scoring 24.9 points per game. He is a floor general who attacks the basket and shields the ball with his body.
Julius Randle is doing “Julius Randle things”: being a good low post scorer who can make an occasional three. Interestingly enough Randle leads the team in assists with 5.5 a game. He also is second on the team in scoring and averages 20.4 points per game.
New York usually starts Mitchell Robinson at center. He is not a big high profile scorer. But he scores at a high percentage (57.8% shooting). He is listed at 7’0” but both Giannis and Brook will look taller.
Quentin Grimes has been playing more of late. The 23 yr-old is an excellent free throw shooter. He is a “slash and score” shooting guard. His lower statistical out put is deceiving (6/1/1).
The Knicks added former Buck Donte DiVincenzo over the offseason. He is averaging 9 points a game and 20 minutes per game. He is not playing a ton but he is playing.
Things to tell your buddies while you are watching the game
- The Knicks and Bucks have played in 228 regular season games. The Bucks lead the all-time series 123-105.
- The Bucks have beaten New York 7 times in a row.
- In the past four match-ups between these two teams, neither club has scored over 119 points.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo has averaged 23.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 34 games against the Knicks in his career.
- Big shout out to Brandon, Brian, Tyree and Matt for continuing to read my stuff. You are all great fans! It is awesome to cheer on the team with you guys!
Follow me on Twitter at @authorrudylb and check out my other writings at www.rudylb.com. Follow us at @WiSportsHeroics! For all things Wisconsin sports, click here! Also, check out our merch store for some amazing WSH merchandise!
