Bucks at Knicks
The New York Knicks shredded Milwaukee in the season opener and look to
defeat the visiting Bucks again on Friday. New York received 73 bench
points in the contest in Milwaukee while rolling to a convincing 122-97
victory.
The Knicks enter the return engagement on the heels of back-to-back 10-point losses to San Antonio and Cleveland. "Right now it feels like we're playing three-fourths of the game," New York forward Carmelo Anthony said afterward. "Then we have lapses here and there that give the opposing team some confidence." Milwaukee forward Jabari Parker made his season debut - he had two points on 1-of-6 shooting - in Wednesday's 91-87 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers but it was shooting guard Khris Middleton (21 points) and center Greg Monroe (18) who led the way. Parker played 16 minutes and looked rusty in his first action since tearing his left ACL last January.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (2-3): Parker is being limited to a maximum of 20 minutes of action at the outset and coach Jason Kidd plans to gradually increase the amount. The No. 2 overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft joked about his production - "I didn't make much, I made a basket," - and said getting back into basketball-playing condition is important. "Hopefully, I can build up my stamina because in the game, it was real difficult," Parker said afterward. "But in practice, we'll see going forward."
ABOUT THE KNICKS (2-3): Anthony had 17 points and a season-best 12 rebounds in Wednesday's loss to Cleveland and is shooting just 36.5 percent from the field. He had season-ending knee surgery in February of last season that affected his off-season repertoire and it has had a carryover effect early in the season despite a 21.8 scoring average. "It’s not really frustrating, I know it will come back," Anthony told reporters. "Those shots that I’m taking I know I’ll usually make so I’m not too concerned about that. But yeah, I do want them to go in."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Bucks won all four of last season's meetings but the success didn't carry over to this season's opener.
2. Milwaukee PG Michael Carter-Williams (ankle) could miss his second straight game.
3. New York SG Arron Afflalo (hamstring) might be cleared to make his season debut.