Hope you survived the Battle of the Belly Bulge 2025. On the heels of a 3-2 road trip, and stuffed to the gills with Thanksgiving turkey, the Knicks (11–6) return to the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden to host the Bucks of Milwaukee (8–11). The game starts at 7:30 PM. Stream it on Amazon Prime Video.
This NBA Cup game marks their second meeting this season. The Bucks won the first tilt 121–111 on October 28. Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 37 points in the victory, and the Knicks, although sitting pretty with a 71-59 advantage at halftime, scored just 40 points after intermission.
Presently, the teams are aimed in different directions.
New York has won two straight and seven of its last ten. They sit fourth in the Eastern Conference behind Detroit, Toronto, and Miami (betcha didn’t see that coming), and their home record is 8-1. Our heroes have a top-three offensive rating (as of this writing), but their defense remains squarely in the middle of the pack. They take a truckload of shots in Mike Brown’s offense, but still edge on the bottom third of the league for page. Grabbing almost 14 offensive rebounds per game, protecting the ball (third in turnovers), and limiting the opponents’ o-boards (surrendering a league-leading 9.2 per game) helps a lot. Even on cold shooting nights, the Knicks manage to stay competitive because they generate more attempts than their opponents.
The Knicks kept their In-Season Cup hopes alive with a blowout win in Charlotte on Wednesday, improving to 2–1 and setting up a key matchup for Friday. Group C will finish with two 3–1 teams, and if New York beats the Bucks tonight, the ’Bockers win the group because they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Miami.
Milwaukee visits the Big Apple with a six-game losing streak yoked around their necks. They’re 11th in the conference and a bottom-10 team overall: 21st offense, 20th defense, neutral pace. In Wednesday’s game, a 106-103 road loss to Miami, they leaned heavily on jump shooting, while Kyle Kuzma, Gary Trent, Jr., A.J. Green, and Ryan Rollins combined to take a _single_ free-throw attempt.
So, don’t expect a lot of pressure in the paint tonight. Where the Bucks can getcha is beyond the arc, where they attempt 38 shots per game and convert 41%. Keep an eye on these cats:
* Green, who takes almost seven triples a night and hits a studly 48%
* OAKAAKUYOAK Bobby Portis, taking three and making 48% (he’s listed as _probable_)
* Myles Turner is taking 5.8, hitting 41%
* Rollins, six and 40%
* Trent, 6.2 and 39%.
Sheesh, that’s impressive long-range shooting. The Knicks will be without the services of OG Anunoby (ankle) again, so the pressure will be on Mikal Bridges, Miles McBride, and Josh Hart to lock down the perimeter.
ESPN.com favors New York at 77%. If Giannis plays, of course, his 30+ scoring and rim pressure change everything. We expect he’ll at least _try_ to take the court; _Le Greekus Freakus_ loves to play in front of the MSG crowd, remember? With or without him, New York’s wings might struggle to contain a barrage from deep throughout the night. But never fear these deer—New York will win in the end. Knicks by eight.
Date: Friday, November 28, 2025Time: 7:30 PM ETPlace: Madison Square Garden, NYCTV: Amazon Prime Video
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