Giannis Antetokounmpo was again very, very good and his supporting cast perfectly did the work, in a match well negotiated by Milwaukee Bucks (121-111).
In this fine fixture on the East Coast, very quickly, the New York Knicks run off a 13-0 burst with a very present Jalen Brunson. The Milwaukee Bucks' replacements offer a response, notably Gary Trent Jr, with a 10-0 run. After these two runs, the first quarter balances out (27-26). Milwaukee have the scoring advantage but New York come back and move in front with three-pointers. It falls from everywhere and Brunson then drives home the nail. The Bucks are relegated and it takes Giannis Antetokounmpo's muscles to limit the damage at half-time (59-71).
Even if debates remain balanced, the third quarter belongs to the Greek, who imposes his power (and his passes) in attack as in defence. Karl-Anthony Towns, until now very discreet, multiplies very questionable choices in the quarter's final moments, which allows Milwaukee to approach the final turn in the lead (94-91).
The final quarter becomes complicated for New York because only Mikal Bridges seems to have offensive solutions. Brunson has a physical alert and loses impact when Towns is still not in it. With a 13-2 run and a cherry on the cake in the form of an Antetokounmpo dunk, the Bucks win, quite logically, 121-111.
New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges knocks the ball away from Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner
What to remember
– Giannis Antetokounmpo again and always. The two-time MVP stepped up his game in this match. In the second half, he was more dominant and, like the previous opponents of the Player Of The Week, the Knicks could do nothing to contain him. He finishes with 37 points at 16/22 shooting, eight rebounds, seven assists and two blocks.
– Supporting cast at the level in Milwaukee. The Greek was well surrounded in this match. Ryan Rollins scored 25 points, Trent Jr's three-pointers did well, Myles Turner made three valuable blocks. Antetokounmpo is the centre of this team's universe but he receives real support, which allows them to win matches.
– Where was Karl-Anthony Towns? It would be harsh to say the Knicks lost "without" their interior, because he was indeed on the court. However, he missed his match. Very, very discreet in the first half, we saw him more after the break, but to take bad shots or commit fouls. He certainly grabbed 12 rebounds, but especially shot 2/12 and lost three turnovers, for eight points in 35 minutes. His absence weighed at the end, because Brunson and Bridges could not do everything alone.
This article was originally published on Basket USA.
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