The Milwaukee Bucks have the New York Knicks’ number. Milwaukee defeated them earlier in the season, 110-105, and they accomplished the same feat on Tuesday during the semifinal of the NBA In-Season Tournament.
Only this time, the Bucks blew out the Knicks, 146-122, which marked the eighth straight time Milwaukee had gotten the better of their Eastern Conference foes — a streak that dates all the way back to the 2021-22 season.
Damian Lillard Vocal on Milwaukee Bucks’ Gameplan Vs. Knicks
Lillard has faced off against the Knicks many times in the past. However, Tuesday’s contest was only the second time he battled New York as a member of the Bucks. Dame revealed after the game that his team had a clear gameplan against the Knicks — one that they executed to a T.
“I thought we just moved the ball well,” Lillard said, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “The plays were there to be made. Coming into the game we knew they were a heavy help team, they swarm to the ball and if we made the right plays and made the extra pass, we’d get quality shots. And I thought we did a great job of playing to the scouting report.”
Speaking of extra passes, Lillard dished out another seven assists in this one as he facilitated the game for the Bucks. He got his buckets too, though, dropping 28 on the Knicks on an efficient 8-of-13 from the field.
All About Quality Shots
As Lillard noted, the Bucks knew that the Knicks had a tendency to help on the defensive end, which they countered by making the extra pass. It worked in Milwaukee’s favor, resulting in the Bucks making 60.4 percent of their chances on the evening.
Lillard and Co. did even better from beyond the arc, draining an NBA season-high 23 triples on a dizzying 60.5 percent clip.
“You’re right, shots do just go in some nights, but I think you give yourself a better chance when you get up quality shots,” he continued. “And I think the way we played against their coverages and the way that they defend gave us a lot of opportunities at quality shots and we made a lot of ‘em.”
Kudos to the coaching staff for coming up with an excellent game plan against the Knicks. Now, they’ll need to do it all over again for Thursday’s showdown against the Indiana Pacers.
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