The Milwaukee Bucks put up a good fight on Christmas Day against the New York Knicks. In the end, however, their collective effort just wasn’t enough to get them over the hump, as the Knicks secured a much-needed victory at the Madison Square Garden, 129-122.
What Went Wrong for Milwaukee Bucks?
Giannis Antetokounmpo tried to carry his team on Monday night with 32 points on 13-of-24 shooting, to go along with 13 rebounds, six assists, a steal, two blocks, and one triple in 39 minutes of play. Despite the lofty numbers from their talisman, however, the Bucks were still overcome by a relentless Knicks side that was eager to get some revenge for their blowout loss against Milwaukee a couple of days earlier.
According to Antetokounmpo, the key factor that led to the Bucks’ downfall was their inability to get stops on the defensive end. Milwaukee was able to score their points, but the fact that their defense simply wasn’t good enough was what ultimately led to the loss:
“We were trading baskets,” Antetokounmpo said, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “That’s not who we are. We cannot trade baskets. In order for you to make a run, get back into the game, you cannot trade baskets.
“The last three, four minutes, we were fighting. We were within six, but again, they executed down the stretch very well, (and were) able to win. We’ll learn from it.”
Giving Credit Where It’s Due
It’s not all on the Bucks, though. Giannis also conceded that the Knicks played a really good game. At the end of the day, New York was just the hungrier side.
“I don’t think our offense was bad today,” he continued. “I don’t think we didn’t play well, they just played way better than us. We played well, but they just played way better than us. Have to give them credit.”
Jalen Brunson deserves a ton of credit for another heroic performance. The 6-foot-2 combo guard went off for 38 points on 15-of-28 shooting, with four rebounds, six assists, a steal, and zero turnovers, en route to spoiling Christmas Day for Giannis and Co.
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