Bucks at Knicks
The New York Knicks can't seem to get the stops they need on the defensive end and plummeted below .500 during their current five-game slide. The Knicks will try to snap out of the funk when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.
New York dropped eight of its last 10 games and is allowing an average of 111.8 points in those contests, including a 115-103 home loss to the Orlando Magic on Monday. "I don’t think our guys aren’t trying - maybe they’re not capable," Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek told reporters of the team defense. "I don’t know. That’s what we have to figure out. Maybe play some other guys and mix the lineup somehow. We have to find someone to play some defense. ... I think they’re trying - they must not be good enough defensively." The Bucks found a way to play some defense down the stretch in a 98-94 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday and pulled above .500 with back-to-back wins. Defense seems to be the key for Milwaukee, which is 6-4 in its last 10 games and held its opponent under 100 points in the six wins while allowing the opposition to go over the century mark in each of the four setbacks.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Wisconsin (Milwaukee), MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE BUCKS (17-16): Milwaukee utilizes its length on the defensive end with athletic wings like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tony Snell. Antetokounmpo is leading the team on the other end of the floor as well and is averaging 27.5 points on 56.3 percent shooting, nine rebounds and 5.9 assists in the last 10 games. "You can just see he's growing and his confidence is getting better each time he takes the floor," Bucks coach Jason Kidd told reporters of Antetokounmpo. "He's understanding he doesn't have to score the ball, he can use his teammates to get shots."
ABOUT THE KNICKS (16-18): New York has its own long, athletic young player in forward Kristaps Porzingis, but he missed the last two games with an Achilles injury and is day-to-day. Porzingis, who leads the team with 1.9 blocks, does not account for the total downturn of the team defense, though star forward Carmelo Anthony does not share his coach's feelings on the team not being good enough at that end. "We got to keep working and get back to the basics," Anthony told reporters. "Sometimes - I’ve been in this league a long time - you have to take a step back and go back to the drawing board."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. New York PG Derrick Rose is averaging 21.9 points in seven games since returning from a back injury.
2. Bucks PG Matthew Dellavedova (hamstring) missed the last three games and is questionable for Wednesday.
3. Milwaukee took two of the three meetings last season and six of the last eight.