Knicks at Bucks
The New York Knicks got a close-up look at Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo's rise to superstardom on Wednesday night and are about to get another. The Knicks will travel to Milwaukee to visit the Bucks in the back end of a home-and-home set on Friday.
Antetokounmpo buried the first game-winner of his career in Wednesday's 105-104 triumph, running the clock down before hitting a step-back jumper from the elbow over the outstretched arm of New York forward Lance Thomas. "I was patient," Antetokounmpo told reporters. "I knew that I could shoot the ball over the top, over anybody at any time. I knew he was not going to block my shot. ... He gave me space to go to my good spot, my hot spot." The buzzer-beater came after the "Greek Freak" showed off another of his prodigious talents by knocking the ball off Knicks point guard Derrick Rose with 8.6 seconds left. The loss was the sixth straight for New York, though Carmelo Anthony told reporters, ""I think we'll win a lot of games if we play the way that we played throughout most of this game," after the contest.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE KNICKS (16-19): New York coach Jeff Hornacek agreed with Anthony's sentiments regarding Wednesday's performance, during which the team handed out 26 assists. "We did a lot of things right," Hornacek told reporters. "We moved the ball better. We played good defense, we helped each other out and they're in the locker room tired right now. So they played as hard as they could, and that's all you can ask. That's making strides." Anthony, who went 17-of-50 from the floor in the previous three games, emerged from the slump with 30 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists on Wednesday.
ABOUT THE BUCKS (18-16): Antetokounmpo, who collected 27 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in Wednesday's win, is shooting 62.9 percent from the floor in the last four games. "We had confidence in him," veteran guard Jason Terry told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Coach drew the play up and he delivered. If you talk about a flower, he's in bloom right now. The petals are starting to open up and it's a joy to be around." Antetokounmpo scored 20 or more points in 13 straight games and is averaging 27.7 points in that span.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. New York PF Kristaps Porzingis (Achilles) sat out the last three games and remains day-to-day.
2. Bucks reserve C Greg Monroe is averaging 16 points and 9.7 rebounds in the last three games.
3. Milwaukee took seven of the last nine in the series.