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Bucks, Giannis blow past Knicks and into In-Season Tournament semifinals
Bucks advance to Vegas with high-scoring win over Knicks
The Bucks didn't slow down the Knicks much defensively, but it didn't matter because they had such a spectacular night offensively in a 146-122 win. Giannis Antetokounmpo made 15 of his 22 shots and put up 35 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists. Damian Lillard was not far behind with 28 points, three rebounds and seven assists. As a team, the Bucks were 23 of 38 from deep, a staggering 60.5 percent from behind the 3-point line.
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Bucks drop 146 on Knicks ... and could've scored even more
Jeff Haynes / NBAE via Getty Images
MILWAUKEE — Even after a 24-point victory, Damian Lillard couldn't help himself from being critical of his own team’s performance.
"We left a lot of points on the board, too," Lillard told reporters. "We missed free throws. We missed some shots in the paint."
While that might sound like the type of thing most players say after a game, the Milwaukee Bucks had not just completed a typical performance. They had just defeated the New York Knicks 146-122 in the In-Season Tournament quarterfinals.
Their offensive performance, which Lillard suggested could have been even better, was the highest-scoring performance from any team in an NBA game this season and the Bucks pulled it off against the Knicks, who had recorded the league’s third-lowest defensive rating entering Tuesday’s game.
"I thought this was probably our best offensive game (of the season)," Lillard said after putting up 28 points and seven assists in the win. "This could have easily been a 160, 165-point game. That doesn't mean we're going to turn into a team that does that every night, but I do think we've got that type of explosiveness. We can't depend on having these types of nights all the time, but it's … a look at the kind of nights we can have offensively sometimes."
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Quentin Grimes sounds off
MILWAUKEE — The New York Knicks and Quentin Grimes have a problem. Now, it’s up to both sides to fix it.
The seldom-used Grimes groused about his role following Tuesday’s 146-122 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, which eliminated the Knicks from the In-Season Tournament.
"It's just hard when you go the whole first quarter without touching the ball, the whole second quarter without touching the ball, and then you get one shot and you got to make it," Grimes said. "So it's tough going out there and just standing in the corner the whole game, then you got to make the shot when you shoot the ball one or two times per game."
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Giannis Antetokounmpo's stat line wasn't as impressive as Julius Randle's (41 points on 19 shots), but it felt like the Bucks' superstar scored so easily against the Knicks. These highlights prove it.
No surprise, but Tom Thibodeau was most frustrated with the Knicks' defense after the game. The Knicks coach said he thought no one played well, and was especially down on the way the team guarded the 3-point arc. The Bucks shot 23 of 38 from deep and consistently got to the paint against New York all night.
Giannis brings out his goofy side
A blowout victory seems to bring out Giannis Antetokounmpo's humorous side. During his walkoff interview with TNT's Jared Greenberg, Giannis:
- Deadpanned a response about heading to Las Vegas.
- Downplayed the trip because he'd be away from family. (Well, except Thanasis)
- Claimed not to know that each Bucks player is now guaranteed $100,000, with a chance at winning $500,000.
- Followed up with "rich get richer."
- Refused Grant Hill's request to bet on black in roulette because he only plays "34 red."
I admit: I laughed.
With 2:29 left, the Bucks appear to be on their way to Las Vegas to take on the Indiana Pacers in the semifinals of the In-Season Tournament.
The Pacers beat the Bucks, 126-124, on Nov. 9. Antetokounmpo scored 54 that night and Lillard did not play.
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Bucks elite from 3 against the Knicks — again
I have no idea how to analyze this game anymore. The Bucks' strategy of hitting every 3-pointer they take is working out wonderfully. Milwaukee is now 21 of 33 from deep. It's 41 of 72 (57 percent) from deep during the two games against the Knicks this season. Milwaukee is now plus-45 from beyond the arc, considering the Knicks have made only six deep balls. You'll win a lot of games that way.
I’m not sure the Knicks' Julius Randle-centric offense is conducive to having everybody involved when they need to knock down shots in rhythm, even if he was brilliant in the first half. With the way the Bucks are shooting, maybe it wouldn’t matter anyway.
Malik Beasley's been a great addition
Malik Beasley has really put together an unbelievable season from behind the 3-point line this year. Coming into tonight's game, he was hitting a career-high 45 percent of his 3-pointers while attempting 6.5 per game. Tonight, he's 4 of 7 from deep. His latest triple just gave the Bucks a much needed cushion after the Knicks had clawed their way back into this game early in the fourth quarter.
Jeff Haynes / NBAE via Getty Images
I'll put words in the mouths of everyone viewing this page.
We all assumed the Bucks would start missing shots, and that when they did, they would have to find a way to slow down the Knicks. I don't think any of us considered that they would keep making this many jumpers.
And yet, it's happening. The Bucks just won the third quarter by 13. They're shooting 63 percent from the field.
The Knicks have had better nights on defense, no question. But this is also a remarkable offensive performance by Milwaukee.
So much for regression to the mean
The Bucks have now made 17 of their 25 3-point attempts through three quarters, which has helped them hold off the Knicks thus far. The Bucks are a strong fourth quarter performance away from a trip to Las Vegas for a semifinal matchup with the Indiana Pacers in the NBA In-Season Tournament.
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Best Giannis has looked this season?
Gary Dineen / Getty Images
Giannis Antetokounmpo has, of course, been great all season, but this game feels like the first one in 2023-24 where his gracefulness has popped off the screen. Maybe I'm just not watching the Bucks closely enough every night. But it sure seems like the Bucks have figured out ways to give him the space to show off the athleticism of his younger self.
Khris Middleton throwing this lob to Giannis Antetokounmpo on that sideline out of bounds play is absolute comedy at this point.
It's not even a play. Just a decade-long connection with a great passer and a great finisher.
Middleton moved Damian Lillard to the nearside corner, then pushed Lopez (and Mitchell Robinson) to the weakside wing. Then, he faked the pass to Lopez, moved the safety and threw the lob.
The Bucks' mascot just hit an over-the-head halfcourt shot with his back turned to the basket. No one in Milwaukee colors can miss a jumper tonight.
Maybe the Bucks WON'T miss any 3s
The Knicks are trapping Damian Lillard's pick-and-rolls, which is not their usual coverage. It makes sense, on some level. But it kind of falls apart when the Bucks make every semi-open 3.
One dribble from beyond half court. Still ridiculous.
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Wild stat from TNT's Kevin Harlan: this game has combined for the highest field goal percentage of any game this season. The defenses clearly aren't in In-Season Tournament form. Or maybe the offenses are just too good. (I vote the latter).
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Before tonight's game, I asked Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau to explain what makes Damian Lillard so good at drawing fouls. He told me it all starts with the threat of Lillard's 3-point shot.
Lillard used that threat to draw six free throws in the second quarter. On top of that, he made all four of his 3-point attempts in the first half. He leads the Bucks with 19 points and four assists at halftime.
Julius Randle is on fire
The Knicks should just tell Julius Randle before every game that they'll send him to Vegas if they win. Randle has 25 points, three rebounds and four assists during a perfect first half: 9 of 9 from the field, 1 of 1 from 3 and 6 of 6 from the line.