The New York Knicks split the Christmas series against the Milwaukee Bucks. Jalen Brunson demonstrates that he is 1A material!
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The Knicks split their back-to-back home games against the Milwaukee Bucks, starting with a disappointing loss but finishing with an enthusiastic victory.
The first matchup looked similar to previous games against the Bucks. Milwaukee’s offense overpowered New York, which meant an early lead for the Bucks quickly became insurmountable. The Bucks dominated the boards, three-point shooting, and nearly every other important counting stat en route to 130 to 111 drubbing.
But the rematch felt like a Christmas miracle, as New York imposed their will on a contender for the first time this season. The Knicks forced Milwaukee into a physical battle while reversing prior trends by scoring almost twice as many fast break points as the Bucks. New York grabbed the lead and never looked back, winning 129 to 122.
Two vastly different games leave us with plenty to discuss about the players. Let’s see how everyone fared.
New York’s stars produce, but the starters’ success requires defense
Jalen Brunson:
Game 1: 36 PTS (15/26 FG, 3/5 3PT, 3/3 FT), 7 AST, 3 REB, 1 BLK, 3 TO in 37 mins
Game 2: 38 PTS (15/28 FG, 1/3 3PT, 7/9 FT), 6 AST, 4 REB, 1 STL in 37 mins
In two games, Jalen Brunson made a statement about being a “1A” kind of guy. Giannis and Damian Lillard can score buckets that leave you shrugging your shoulders and saying, “There’s nothing you can do about that.” That’s the mark of a star player. In both games, Brunson was the most unstoppable force on the floor.
Brunson led all scorers by comfortable margins both times. He added 13 assists, with some beautiful playmaking throughout the action. He has seamless chemistry with nearly every player in the rotation and compliments them whether he’s on the ball or off.
My favorite stat from Brunson’s fantastic performance is 0 turnovers in the second game. He shot above 50 percent on 28 attempts and added 6 assists without a single turnover. Nothing about Brunson holds New York back; he’s a true star and deserves that respect around the league. Brunson gets a 5 out of 5 for an incredible pair of performances.
Donte DiVincenzo:
Game 1: 11 PTS (4/7 FG, 3/6 3PT), 2 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 24 mins
Game 2: 3 PTS (1/6 FG, 1/5 3PT), 4 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 21 mins
We saw two versions of Donte DiVincenzo in each game, but both performances had merit. DiVo knocked down important shots for game one and kept New York competitive early in the first matchup. But he lacked punch in other areas.
DiVincenzo couldn’t buy a bucket in game two, but he made up for it with clever passes and excellent defense. Donte sold out on defense, pressing ball handlers through screens and stepping up his ball denial in space. Damian Lillard went from 32 points in game one to just 19 in game two.
DiVo’s pair of nights show that scoring isn’t everything. His most significant contribution was defense, and the Knicks were better when he shot poorly because he spent extra effort on defense. He gets a 3 out of 5 for two nice games.
RJ Barrett:
Game 1: 13 PTS (5/17 FG, 2/5 3PT, 1/2 FT), 1 AST, 7 REB, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 29 mins
Game 2: 21 PTS (8/14 FG, 2/5 3PT, 3/4 FT), 1 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO in 28 mins
RJ Barrett’s first game was a nightmare. He missed shots, forced the issue, and failed to score as many points as attempts. To make matters worse, he got torched by Khris Middleton on the defensive end. It was one of his worst games of the season.
Barrett came out on a mission in the second matchup. He knocked down jumpers early and drove with enough force to finish even against Milwaukee’s shot blockers. You might note that he played fewer minutes in his better performance, but Thibodeau saved RJ from himself. When Barrett slipped into forcing the issue, Thibs benched the kid and preserved an excellent performance.
RJ went from a terrible performance to a tone-setting 20-point barrage. He gets a 2.5 for the wildly different results.
Julius Randle:
Game 1: 26 PTS (8/17 FG, 0/2 3PT, 10/10 FT), 1 AST, 8 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO in 34 mins
Game 2: 24 PTS (8/17 FG, 2/5 3PT, 6/6 FT), 2 AST, 9 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 4 TO in 41 mins
It was a strange back-to-back for Julius Randle. He was never bad, but he never looked his best, either. The big man powered his way to 50 points and 17 rebounds across both games, but that came with 7 turnovers and some ugly sequences. He also jawed with Bobby Portis right before Portis began to go off in game one.
But after activating Portis in game one, Randle showed up with tough defense in game two. He might be the best example of the team’s demeanor changing for the second matchup. Randle locked in on defense and did much less talking to Bucks’ players.
The mixed-bag performance only means that Randle dipped from All-NBA caliber to a great player instead. His contributions are easily worth a 4 out of 5, mainly thanks to some tremendous defensive sequences in the second game. He could sneak into MVP conversations if he defended like that all year.
Isaiah Hartenstein:
Game 1: 12 PTS (4/5 FG, 4/4 FT), 1 AST, 13 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 33 mins
Game 2: 11 PTS (5/7 FG, 1/2 FT), 4 AST, 8 REB, 1 BLK in 33 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein was a consistent presence for the Knicks in both games. Not much changed about his performance, as he scored inside and grabbed boards at a strong clip. I-Hart’s work on the glass was especially crucial, with New York’s rebounding visibly fading as soon as Hartenstein sat.
But I-Hart sometimes had to sit because he got into foul trouble. His biggest blemish in both games came from picking up unnecessary fouls that threw the rotation slightly out of wack. That would be fine if Mitch were healthy, but foul trouble means Hartenstein has to play cautious defense that hurts his impact for the rest of the night.
I-Hart’s foul trouble can’t derail his otherwise strong performances. Whether starting or coming off the bench, he effectively matched up with Brook Lopez. I-Hart gets a 3.5 out of 5 for his work.
The Knicks’ second unit makes the difference between a loss and a win
Immanuel Quickley:
Game 1: 7 PTS (2/8 FG, 1/5 3PT, 2/2 FT), 1 AST, 2 REB, 1 TO in 22 mins
Game 2: 20 PTS (7/10 FG, 2/4 3PT, 4/4 FT), 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 TO in 22 mins
Immanuel Quickley played roughly the same amount of minutes in both games but with wildly different results. He shot poorly and couldn’t get into the flow of things during game one. His 7 points were a labor to get to, and he missed wide-open threes along the way.
But he opened game two with a three-pointer early and locked in the rest of the way. He drew fouls, finished floaters inside, and increased his intensity in the fourth quarter. IQ went from missing open looks to knocking down off-balance three-pointers within two days.
The strange thing about IQ is that the defense is rarely behind his streaky shooting. He either has it or he doesn’t. The same looks fall on one night and miss on the next. Thankfully, he’s got it going on more nights than not. Quickley earned a 2.5 out of 5 for the same reason RJ Barrett did.
Quentin Grimes:
Game 1: 2 PTS (1/3 FG, 0/1 3PT), 2 REB, 1 STL in 16 mins
Game 2: 2 PTS (1/2 FG, 0/1 3PT, 0/1 FT), 2 AST, 1 REB in 12 mins
Quentin Grimes didn’t get the minutes to impact either game significantly. His defense never leaped off the screen because he didn’t get to match with players like Dame or Middleton long enough. However, Middleton did overpower him a few times in game one.
To Grimes’ credit, he scored a couple of decent transition finishes. The three-point looks didn’t come, so his shooting never got going. It’s difficult to grade Grimes beyond an incomplete without him cracking 30 minutes in the two games combined.
Josh Hart:
Game 1: 2 PTS (1/6 FG, 0/3 3PT), 3 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 26 mins
Game 2: 10 PTS (5/7 FG, 0/2 3PT), 4 AST, 9 REB, 2 STL, 2 TO in 31 mins
Josh Hart is another example of a player who struggled in game one and stepped up in game two. He attacked in transition far more during the second matchup, and I attribute that to a far better effort on the boards. Hart passed, defended, and rebounded with intensity in the second matchup, leading to an efficient scoring performance.
I saved space to write about Hart’s 0/5 from three-point land over the two games because I think he has to keep shooting them. I’d rather see him take open threes and miss than go back to hesitating, which plagued his performances early in the season. If he’s open, he has to take the shot.
For the two games, Hart gets a 2.5 out of 5. It’s the same story as RJ and IQ here; we saw his highs and lows in two games.
Taj Gibson:
Game 1: 2 PTS (1/2 FG, 0/1 3PT), 1 AST, 1 REB in 15 mins
Game 2: 0 PTS (0/1 FG, 0/1 3PT), 3 AST, 3 REB, 3 BLK in 15 mins
Thanks to Isaiah Hartenstein’s early foul trouble in game one, Taj Gibson was thrust into an even bigger role. Gibson struggled with the Bucks’ starters and failed to keep them off the glass.
But they weren’t going to do Taj Gibson like that twice in a row. He showed up to game two and matched everyone’s physicality, repeatedly stripping or blocking Giannis in the post. Taj also did some floor spacing, stepping out to the three-point line off of screens.
I understand why the conversation around New York’s trade deadline will include moves for another reliable center. But I’d be lying if I said Gibson’s defense on Giannis didn’t make me smile. The big man gets a 2.5 out of 5 for stepping into a rotation role against an MVP when he was on the couch a couple of weeks ago.
Question Tom Thibodeau at your own risk
That header’s a message to myself. Every time I’m ready to lose patience with Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks, there’s a tweak or adjustment that pays dividends. The Knicks didn’t make drastic changes to beat the Bucks in the second game, but they sharpened up some details.
New York still shot fewer threes, grabbed fewer rebounds, and turned the ball over more than Milwaukee. But they dominated the transition battle and points in the paint, making them more efficient. There’s room for this team to grow, but Thibodeau has them executing at a high level.
Closing Thoughts
I’ve spent this past month hammering out how demanding the schedule is. Now, we’re seeing light at the end of the tunnel. The Knicks have six wins and five losses so far in December. That’s with eight games on the road, an extended road trip, and a third of the games against the top two teams in the East.
When is a .500 record a statement? When it comes against the best teams, in their buildings, and with less rest. The Knicks aren’t just .500 in this stretch; they’re one better.
The challenges continue with the Thunder, Magic, and Pacers this week. That’ll be three more games against playoff teams, all on the road, with a back-to-back included. But the Knicks have looked pretty good in December so far, and January looks much easier by comparison.
I’ll see you next time, Knicks fam!
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below! Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the NBA season. Subscribe to the newsletter for KFTV content and events, shop discounts, and more at bit.ly/kftvmail. And in case you missed it, check out Alex and Jacob Kniffen preview the Knicks at the Oklahoma City Thunder matchup.
