Bucks at Knicks
Carmelo Anthony is rolling and so are the New York Knicks, who look to win their 11th straight Friday night when they host the Milwaukee Bucks. Just weeks after he was sidelined with a knee injury and the Knicks were struggling, Anthony is carrying his club in its pursuit of the second seed in the Eastern Conference. After scoring 50 points in a win over Miami on Tuesday, Anthony produced 40 to spark a 95-82 win over Atlanta on Wednesday.
Anthony has shot 35-for-53 (66 percent) in the two high-scoring efforts and should get his share of looks against the Bucks, who were thumped at home by lowly Minnesota on Wednesday. The Timberwolves shot 52.4 percent en route to a 107-98 win that hurt Milwaukee's chances of climbing out of the undesirable eighth spot in the East. Coupled with a win by seventh-place Boston, the Bucks are now 2 1/2 games behind the Celtics with eight to play.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Wisconsin (Milwaukee), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (36-38): Ersan Ilyasova scored 29 points in the loss to Minnesota. His fellow starters combined to shoot 19-for-50 as Milwaukee fell for the sixth time in eight games. Fortunately for the Bucks, Philadelphia also lost, which enabled Milwaukee to maintain a six-game lead in the race for the final playoff spot. It would take a monumental collapse to lose a playoff spot, but it won't be easy to move toward a clinch against the Knicks, who have won four straight between the teams, including two this season by double digits.
ABOUT THE KNICKS (48-26): Anthony has given every indication that he is ready to finish strong. New York will continue to hold its breath on the front line, however. All-Star center Tyson Chandler has been able to play 24 minutes in consecutive games since returning from a neck injury, but he has not been particularly active. Also, Kenyon Martin, who filled in so admirably when Chandler was sidelined, left a recent win with an abdominal strain. While he did return, it was another reminder that the Knicks are pretty thin up front, not a great recipe for the physical nature of postseason play.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. New York's winning streak is its longest since a 15-game surge during the 1993-94 season.
2. Including this one, Milwaukee plays six of its final eight games on the road as it attempts to secure its first playoff bid since 2010.
3. Knicks SF Steve Novak has made 15-of-26 (57.7 percent) 3-pointers over his last eight games.
PREDICTION: Knicks 108, Bucks 98