From the opening tipoff, RJ Barrett had his way against the Milwaukee Bucks. He and Jalen Brunson scored 28 of the New York Knicks 36 points in the first quarter and the Knicks took down the Bucks on Christmas Day by a final score of 129-122.
Barrett finished the game with 21 points, grabbed six rebounds, recorded one assist, and recorded one steal for the New York Knicks in the win. He looked very comfortable against the Milwaukee Bucks’ defense all game long. This was the second time in four games that Milwaukee has faced off against New York.
RJ Barrett told Zach Braziller of the New York Post after the game about getting off to a hot start against the Bucks:
“I got into a good rhythm early in the game, helped us get a lead. After that, it was kind of trying to play the game and listen to what the game was telling me to do.”
In the game, Barrett shot 57.1% from the field and he also shot 40% from three-point land. He was happy that he was able to shoot better in this one. In the last meeting against the Bucks, he only shot 29.4% from the field and Barrett’s shots were falling this time around.
RJ Barrett Discussed the Importance Of Getting a Lead Early Against a Talented Basketball Team Like the Milwaukee Bucks
The New York Knicks lost nine consecutive games against the Milwaukee Bucks before winning on Christmas Day. Barrett knew how important it was to get a lead on the Bucks at home and they also needed to keep the foot on the gas pedal.
He said to Braziller:
“A team like that, you got to try to hit them first and try to keep the lead throughout the game. They threw some punches back, they cut it to four at one point, so they definitely played hard, they played well, they definitely tested us. But we were able to keep the lead and pull away.”
The Bucks won the season series against the New York Knicks 3-1. It is possible that they could meet in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. Milwaukee is currently seeded second in the Eastern Conference and New York is currently seeded sixth in the Eastern Conference. R.J. Barrett and Jalen Brunson took advantage of a weak Bucks defense.
