The New York Knicks fell to the Milwaukee Bucks 122-146. Randle was superb, but his efforts alone couldn’t keep up with the Bucks hot offense.
Make sure to catch the whole Knicks Fan TV Post Game show on all major podcast platforms below:
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Stitcher
The Knicks’ offense showed up, but their defense vanished against the Milwaukee Bucks, as they lost 122 to 146. Both teams played at a rapid pace that spurred the high-scoring action. New York kept up with Milwaukee throughout the first half. But the Knicks suffered another flat third quarter, an issue that’s becoming repetitive.
Any chances at a comeback were shut down by Milwaukee’s three-point shooting and the Knicks’ lack of three-point defense. The Bucks shot 60.5 percent from three, making 23/38 attempts, while New York hit only 7/23. There was no shot at a comeback, and the Knicks bench unit finished the action with the game out of reach.
The offensive production wasn’t insufficient for most players in this high-scoring affair. But high scoring doesn’t matter when you’re getting outscored and outworked. Let’s dig into the players’ performances.
The Knicks score plenty, give up twice as much
Jalen Brunson: 24 PTS (10/22 FG, 0/5 3PT, 4/7 FT), 6 AST, 3 REB, 1 STL, 3 TO in 34 mins
Jalen Brunson played aggressive basketball out of the gate, scoring early and often. But his three-point shooting, which has been lights out all season, failed to manifest. His attack mode looked great when he drove into the midrange or got inside the paint. But the Bucks did an excellent job of containing him despite the impressive numbers.
Most of Brunson’s production in this game is good, but a step below his recent output. He scored 24 points but shot below his season average for field goal percentage. His 6 assists were helpful, but they came with more turnovers (3 TOs) than we’re accustomed to seeing. Even his free throw efficiency dipped unexpectedly.
It’s impossible to be mad about a player producing 24 points and 6 assists. But this was far from the best we’ve seen from Jalen Brunson. Star players don’t get shut down by opposing defenses often, limiting the damage and making them work is the goal. So, Brunson receives a 3 out of 5 for a good game that wasn’t quite enough.
Quentin Grimes: 0 PTS (O/1 FG, 0/1 3PT), 1 REB, 1 STL in 18 mins
Quentin Grimes was invisible for most of the first half. He and Randle botched a handoff on the game’s opening play, and then it felt like Grimes barely touched the ball again. He finally took a shot in the third quarter, but it was way off, reflecting how out of rhythm he was. He’d go on to validate our concerns after the game.
Grimes’s defense on Damian Lillard kept him valuable in the first quarter. But once Dame got going in the second quarter, Grimes had nothing to offer but fouls. Without that defensive edge, he was benched.
It’s hard to blame Tom Thibodeau when Grimes looks passive and nervous. He plays hot potato with the ball, and other players get plenty of touches with the other starters. He gets a 0.5 out of 5 for failing to show up.
RJ Barrett: 23 PTS (7/18 FG, 1/4 3PT, 8/8 FT), 1 AST, 8 REB, 2 TO in 31 mins
RJ Barrett entered the game in attack mode but had to rely on free throws for production again. The Bucks’ length and shot-blocking turned RJ into last season’s Barrett at the rim. He struggled to score and forced up shots after driving too deep to pass out of trouble. His three-pointer never came back from the migraine disappearance.
To Barrett’s credit, he visibly played hard on defense and led the team in rebounding. He grabbed 4 boards in the first quarter, helping to spark transition offense with quick outlet passes. But it wasn’t enough to cover for his inefficient scoring once the rest of the team struggled in the second half.
Barrett’s efficiency has regressed to the mean. He hasn’t finished around the rim or shot the long ball like he had to start the season. He’s still got a spark, playing faster and more decisively than before. But that only matters if he’s efficient. Barrett barely gets a 2 out of 5, thanks to the extra rebounds.
Julius Randle: 41 PTS (14/19 FG, 2/2 3PT, 11/12 FT), 5 AST, 6 REB, 4 TO in 37 mins
There were two Julius Randle’s in this game. The first is the Randle, who carried the offense with a perfect 9/9 shooting in the first half and a 40-point explosion. The second is Randle on the defensive end, who focused so much on Giannis that his closeouts and help defense were non-existent.
Randle’s offense was too good to hyper-focus on his defensive shortcomings. He hit shots from all over the floor, bodied Giannis in the post, and got whatever he wanted. The big man’s only issues on offense were turnovers when Milwaukee’s help trapped him.
But it’s been obvious all season that Randle’s the weakest link on defense. Many of his shortcomings on that end look like effort issues, and that’s hard to forgive on a night when the Knicks give up 146 points. Randle gets a 4 out of 5, which should be a 5 if he’d played better defense.
Mitchell Robinson: 2 PTS (1/2 FG), 3 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO in 27 mins
Mitchell Robinson still hasn’t figured out how to defend perimeter bigs. Brook Lopez dragged Mitch away from the rim, and Milwaukee thrived in his absence. Robinson couldn’t help defenders like he usually does and barely made a blip as a rebounder.
Robinson has 9 rebounds over the last two games, though I’m not panicking yet. His presence made an impact in Toronto. But he wasn’t nearly as effective against the Bucks’ five-out offense. This could be a broader issue, which I’ll discuss later, but it’s clear that Robinson loses efficacy if the opposing center can shoot.
Robinson is having an incredible season; one game doesn’t detract from that. But he’s locked horns with Brook Lopez and KP twice. The perimeter bigs have thoroughly outplayed him every time. If he can solve that puzzle, he’ll fully round the corner and complete his defensive leap. Mitch gets a 1.5 out of 5 for a tough night.
New York’s second-unit has an underwhelming night
Immanuel Quickley: 7 PTS (1/7 FG, 1/4 3PT, 4/4 FT), 3 AST, 1 REB, 1 TO in 19 mins
Immanuel Quickley’s slump continued, with his third rough game in a row. He’s shooting 26 percent from the field over the last three games. The Bucks didn’t do anything special to stop him. IQ got to his spots and took his usual jump shots and floaters. But nothing would fall.
While 3 assists don’t leap off the page, Quickley’s passing and playmaking were better than that suggests. He often drove and kicked, starting a domino effect with DiVo, Hart, and I-Hart passing the ball until someone got a free look at the rim. But that only worked until the Bucks adjusted in the second half.
Quickley has always been a streaky player, but I’d hoped we were past that. The Knicks have enough pieces to cover his cold streaks as long as the defense holds up. But we need consistency and reliability when it comes to the top teams in the league. IQ gets a 1.5 out of 5 for coming up short.
Donte DiVincenzo: 7 PTS (2/5 FG, 1/4 3PT, 2/2 FT), 2 AST, 1 REB in 17 mins
Donte DiVincenzo’s three-point shooting could have been helpful in this game, but it never manifested. He played his best basketball on quick cuts to the basket, where he could drive and kick to Josh Hart outside or I-Hart inside. When DiVo got open looks from three, he missed more than he made.
DiVincenzo’s defense is hard to be mad at. He was no worse than Quentin Grimes, but both guys struggled to contain Damian Lillard when the star guard felt like scoring.
Overall, it’s an underwhelming performance but not a terrible one. DiVo did just enough to earn a 2 out of 5 because he didn’t actively hurt the team with inefficiency like others.
Josh Hart: 11 PTS (5/8 FG, 1/1 3PT), 1 AST, 4 REB, 3 STL in 26 mins
Josh Hart put together another burst of scoring that buoyed his offensive output. He knocked down his only three despite seeming to hesitate before launching it. The rest of Hart’s scoring came from taking drive and kicks right back into the chaos of the paint.
The rest of Hart’s production came from his typical hard work. His chase-down steal is indicative of how hard our former Blazer worked all game. Like IQ’s assists, Hart’s 4 rebounds don’t tell you everything about his work boxing out and chasing loose balls.
I’ll credit Josh Hart as this game’s best player off the bench. He’s gotten closer to last season’s fantastic play, just in time to cover for IQ’s recent slump. Hart gets a 2.5 out of 5 for a solid performance.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 4 PTS (2/3 FG), 5 AST, 7 REB, 2 BLK, 1 TO in 18 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein had a fantastic first half, particularly as a passer. He’d screen and roll, receive the pass in motion, and quickly find open cutters on the weak side. That play worked on multiple occasions.
I-Hart also did well to battle on the boards. He played physical basketball in the lanes and didn’t give up space as easily off the ball. His production faded in the second half, but he was never bad. I-Hart gets a 2 out of 5 for a good night in the backup role.
Tom Thibodeau’s can’t beat a five-out offense
I understand the motivation to pack the paint against a team with Giannis and to send hedging help defenders to Damian Lillard. But Tom Thibodeau watched New York guard the paint and give up three-pointers all game.
His scheme forces kickouts and tries to rush shooters, but that wasn’t working. Once a KP or Brook Lopez pulls centers out of the paint, the scheme loses efficacy. The Knicks could put everything into their closeouts and still run into nights like this, particularly against a five-out offense. This is especially true if Thibodeau refuses to make adjustments.
Closing Thoughts
The Knicks have spent the past few years getting to this point. They’re a good team and a confident pick to make the postseason. But that success has brought them to their biggest obstacle yet. To get over the next hump, New York has to be able to beat contenders. This season, they’ve barely been able to compete with the top teams on most nights.
New York has blowout losses to the Bucks, Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, and even the New Orleans Pelicans. They don’t have a win over a top-four team in either conference. I preached patience last recap, but I don’t imagine Leon Rose resting on his laurels if the trade deadline approaches and this pattern remains.
The Knicks can regain some confidence by beating the Celtics on Friday. I’ve mentioned struggles against top teams and five-out offenses in particular. Boston is the perfect example to turn those struggles around or reinforce my concerns. 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 CP the Fanchise’s interview with The Kid Mero!
