Knicks at Bucks
THE STORY: The New York Knicks continue to scramble for a playoff spot - and Wednesday presents a great opportunity to put some space between themselves and their closest pursuers. The Knicks look to bounce back from a loss in Chicago a night earlier as they take on the host Milwaukee Bucks. New York has a one-game lead over Milwaukee for the eighth and final postseason berth in the Eastern Conference - and that advantage will either be doubled or nonexistent by the end of Wednesday's tilt.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, MSG, Fox Sports Wisconsin
ABOUT THE KNICKS (29-28): A rough second quarter was New York's undoing against the conference-leading Bulls, who held their opponents to 10 points in the frame to essentially put the game away. Lopsided rebounding also played a role, with the Knicks beaten 51-33 on the boards. ''They beat us on the boards," said New York star Carmelo Anthony. "I got two rebounds. I've got to do better than that.'' Wednesday closes a stretch that sees the Knicks play four out of five games on the road; they're 2-2 heading into Milwaukee.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (28-29): A four-game winning streak is impressive at any point in the season, but Milwaukee felt it had more to prove after stringing together the run against sub-.500 clubs. A visit from the West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder provided a sobering reminder of the Bucks' place in the standings as they fell by 20 points and were never really in the game. Coach Scott Skiles was realistic afterward. ''The reality is, that team's at a different level than we are," he said. "And we're trying to get to that level someday.''
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Milwaukee opened the season series with two straight wins before the Knicks got on the board with an 89-80 triumph on March 26.
2. Anthony averages 26.1 points and 7.1 rebounds in 21 career games against the Bucks.
3. New York heads home following Wednesday's showdown for a three-game homestand against Washington, Miami and Boston.