The New York Knicks have a rematch with the Milwaukee Bucks in the quarterfinals of the In-Season Tournament. Will New York get their revenge?
The In-Season Tournament Knockout Rounds are here, and the New York Knicks get their rematch with the Milwaukee Bucks. In the first matchup for the season, which was In-Season Tournament group play for both teams, the Bucks came out victorious. New York made it a close contest thanks to Jalen Brunson’s 45-point performance. But because most of the Knicks shot bricks, Brunson didn’t have enough support to edge out a win.
Several factors in that loss for New York have since changed. For one, Julius Randle is back in rhythm, so we should expect a better overall performance. On top of that, RJ Barrett missed that game due to an injury, so Josh Hart was inserted into the starting lineup. Without RJ and Hart getting the start, New York’s bench unit was undermanned and struggled to perform as we’re accustomed to seeing.
So, since everyone is healthy and the team is starting to gel, this game should be different for the Knicks. And while New York is starting to become a cohesive unit, it is now Milwaukee’s turn to deal with some injuries, as they will be without Pat Connaughton and Jae Crowder.
Granted, even though the Bucks are missing some key players for tomorrow’s matchup, Milwaukee seems to be surging. Their offense is beginning to look more fluid, the defense is improving (even though it still isn’t great), and Khris Middleton is finding his groove.
All in all, this rematch will be interesting. So let’s look at the key components of this game and what to be on the lookout for.
Brunson vs. Lillard
We always hear the term head of the snake when talking about Jalen Brunson and Damian Lillard, which makes sense since both are the most dangerous scorers for their respective teams. Let’s just look at the previous matchup, where the Bucks narrowly defeated the Knicks 110 to 105. Brunson scored 45 points, and Dame had 30—both led their teams in scoring.
But outside of their potent scoring, they also get that tagline because they’re so dangerous in the clutch. And the stats back this up. According to NBA Stats, Damian Lillard leads the league with points scored in the clutch with 6.1, while Brunson is 12th with 4.0.
When there are five minutes left in the game, you want the ball in Brunson or Dame’s hands because they both have a knack for getting to their spots on demand and getting a shot off. And you better believe that this game will end with the Brunson Burner and Dame Dolla duking it out in the game’s final minutes. That’s how the Knicks-Bucks first matchup came to a close, so expect the same.
Hopefully, Brunson can get payback this time around.
Knicks’ defense vs. Bucks’ offense
The league is essentially at the quarter-season mark, and both the Bucks and Knicks are solidifying their identities. For the Bucks, they’re a high-octane offense led by Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo that struggles on defense. As for the Knicks, they’re proving their defense is as tough as nails while their offense jockeys from fluid ball movement or too much isolation. So, it’ll be interesting to see which team’s strength prevails for this matchup.
For the Knicks, if they’re looking to win with their defense, it’ll start with containing Dame. As I noted, Dame is the head of the snake for the Bucks. When he starts going, everything else starts to fall into place.
Yes, the Bucks also have Giannis, who can get buckets and kickstart Milwaukee’s offense. But the three-level threat scoring from Lillard is more concerning because that can ruin an entire defense.
Since Dame can get downhill, find space in the midrange, or pull up from the logo, his gravity is so immense that it creates pockets in the opponents’ defense that allow his teammates to get open looks. So for New York, trying to keep Dame in check should be the number one priority for the Knicks because eliminating Giannis is essentially impossible.
Now, if you flip what I laid out, the Bucks should want to get Dame going as soon as possible, and that’ll start with the Dame and Giannis pick and roll, as I wrote for my earlier preview.
However, another way for the Bucks to crack the Knicks’ defense is to get Mitchell Robinson out of the paint. As demonstrated in their first matchup (or even when Mitch faced Kristaps Porzingis and the Boston Celtics), the lane is open to attack anytime he has to leave the paint to guard Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis from three. So, the Knicks must ensure that Mitch doesn’t leave the paint frequently to keep their defense intact.
Knicks need to get out in transition as much as possible
The Knicks need to take advantage of scoring in transition because that is the Bucks’ weak point on defense. And thankfully, that is one of New York’s strengths.
According to NBA Stats, the Knicks rank 5th in points scored off turnovers (18.7 points per game) and 13th in fastbreak points (14.2 points per game). And per Cleaning the Glass, the Bucks rank 23rd when defending in transition. So, if I am Tom Thibodeau, I am telling the second unit to get out and run as much as possible.
With Immanuel Quickley, Donte DiVincenzo, RJ Barrett, Josh Hart, and Isaiah Hartenstein, that unit can fly in the open court. Quickley and Donte are always ready to push the pace and finish a layup in transition or pull-up from three. You then have RJ and Hart, who like to get downhill relentlessly and punish defenses in the open floor or halfcourt. And you can count on I-Hart to utilize his outlet passes to catch opponents sleeping on defense.
With the Bucks having two legitimate scoring threats, the Knicks cannot leave any stone unturned for where they can pour in the points.
Randle’s time to show up in a big game
Julius Randle, who was just named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, must show up in this matchup against Milwaukee. Will he have a difficult assignment matching up with Giannis Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP and NBA Champion? Absolutely. But it is time for him to demonstrate that he can show up and ball out when the lights are the brightest.
As we know, Randle struggled in both postseason appearances and for different reasons. In his first appearance during the 2020-21 season, he struggled because he couldn’t understand how opposing defenses were covering him (some will also say he didn’t have enough help to shine his brightest, but that’s debatable). For his second postseason action, he played on an injured ankle the entire time.
Well, now his team is better, and he is healthy. And while I am not expecting Randle to overpower Giannis, I hope he keeps up the same level of play that earned him Eastern Conference Player of the Week. That means getting downhill and finishing high-percentage shots around the rim, reading the double teams and finding his open teammates, cleaning up the defensive glass, and not settling for untimely and highly contested jumpers.
The Knicks will need Randle’s production to have any chance of defeating the Bucks. Let’s see if he is finally ready to put the “he doesn’t show up for big games” narrative to bed.
The Knicks have a chance to make history. While Milwaukee is dealing with injuries, this could be an opportune time for New York to strike and advance to the In-Season Tournament Semifinals. If they do, then they’ll have a favorable (and highly anticipated) matchup against the Indian Pacers, who just defeated the Boston Celtics.
Just think about it: The Knicks and Pacers continue to add to their historic rivalry, we’ll get the battle of the point guards between Brunson and Haliburton, and of course, we’ll see Randle and Obi Toppin faceoff.
But first, it starts off with the Knicks taking care of business in Milwaukee tonight.
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