The New York Knicks lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 105-110. Jalen Brunson dropped 45 points to give the Knicks a chance, but it wasn’t enough.
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The New York Knicks came up short against the Milwaukee Bucks, losing 105 to 110. New York squandered a monstrous scoring effort from Jalen Brunson, who seemed determined to carry his squad. The Knicks trailed for most of the game, but Brunson kept things within reach with some help from Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley.
Three-point shooting was the difference. Milwaukee made 20 three-pointers while shooting 51.3 percent from the field. The Knicks, meanwhile, hit just 25.6 percent of their attempts, making 10 threes despite 39 tries. Any time New York closed the distance, Milwaukee answered with a long-range shot.
The offense still hasn’t found its rhythm, but Brunson and Grimes kicking into gear should help. Let’s see who stepped up to the tough competition and which players are still finding their way.
Jalen Brunson carries New York’s starters
Jalen Brunson: 45 PTS (17/30 FG, 2/8 3PT, 9/11 FT), 4 AST, 5 REB, 1 STL, 4 TO in 42 mins
Jalen Brunson was the best offensive player in a game that featured Giannis and Damian Lillard. He started this game as aggressive as we’ve seen and never stopped attacking the Bucks. New York’s leader managed to pick holes in a defense loaded with long wingspans and shot-blockers. He looked like the Brunson or last season again.
Turnovers remain a lingering problem for Brunson, who typically protects the ball. The Bucks have a lot of length, so I can understand an aggressive player coughing up the rock a few times. I’ll take the tradeoff of Brunson finally getting into a scoring rhythm, even if it means some giveaways.
Brunson also provided some rebounding and some nice assists. His assist total is impressive, considering that Quentin Grimes was the only other starter who could hit a jumper for most of the night. Brunson gets a 4.5 of 5 for nearly carrying his team to a win.
Quentin Grimes: 17 PTS (6/11 FG, 5/10 3PT), 2 AST, 4 REB, 1 TO in 34 mins
Quentin Grimes finally snapped out of his funk, blessing New York with his first double-digit scoring performance of the season. Grimes sought his shot early and often, even taking and making a stepback three in the early portion of the action. The shooter’s activity level diminished as action continued, but that’s understandable given his defensive assignment.
Grimes spent most of the night challenging Damian Lillard, which is a mountainous task for anybody. The young defender forced Dame into 4 turnovers and held the star player at bay for most of the action. But when things got tight late, Grimes couldn’t find an answer to slow down Dame time. But no one has a solution for Dame when he’s in that mode.
This was, by far, Grimes’ best performance. He provided a scoring punch that was sorely missing from the rest of the starters. With the Bucks shooting lights out, someone needed to answer, and a young, struggling defender stepped up to give New York a shot. Grimes gets a 3.5 of 5 for finally waking up.
Josh Hart: 6 PTS (2/9 FG, 0/4 3PT, 2/2 FT), 5 AST, 10 REB, 3 STL, 1 BLK in 36 mins
Once again, Josh Hart did everything we love except score. That’s unfortunate because his missed opportunities from the field come to mind before any of his nice assists or 10 rebounds. Hart was active, and he made plenty of good happen, but his inability to convert open looks hurt when counterparts for Milwaukee converted everything they got.
Hart’s defense was fun to watch in spells. He snuck up on players, jumped passing lanes, and flew around the court for steals. The only thing holding the active wing back was an untimely whistle or two.
For all intents and purposes, Josh Hart played a good game. His energy has been trending in the right direction for a few performances, and he helped New York dominate the rebounding battle. But he has to at least threaten to score to put together a complete performance. Hart gets a 2.5 of 5, held back by his inefficiency from the field.
Julius Randle: 16 PTS (5/20 FG, 1/9 3PT, 5/9 FT), 5 AST, 12 REB, 2 STL, 1 TO in 39 mins
Speaking of inefficiency from the field, Julius Randle’s shooting woes continued. The big man tried to step up for the starters, but his shot was off from everywhere. He couldn’t buy a three-pointer, missed nearly half his free throws, and wasn’t much better from midrange or close. But to be fair, Randle was matched against Giannis with Brook Lopez in the paint for most of the game.
Randle’s effort was a big step up from Cleveland. He was the only player with size to guard Giannis and did as well as one can expect against the Freak. Randle also returned to his rebounding ways and passed the ball well without being hampered by turnovers. Randle played faster overall, which helped even if he wasn’t scoring well.
Unfortunately, a strong effort everywhere else can’t erase a 5/20 shooting night. The Knicks offense needs more scoring out of Randle, especially while RJ Barrett cannot play. Julius keeps stopping short on drives, and I wonder if the ankle injury is lingering in his mind. Randle gets 1.5 out of 5 for the good effort but brutal shooting.
Mitchell Robinson: 0 PTS (0/4 FG), 1 AST, 15 REB in 29 mins
Mitchell Robinson’s game is tough to judge. On the one hand, his defensive presence was impressive, holding Brook Lopez to 4/15 from the field while limiting fouls and helping against drives from the likes of Lillard and Giannis. On the other hand, all of Brook’s makes were from open three-pointers, and the Bucks likewise overcame any rim protection by shooting well from distance.
Mitch was great on the offensive glass, as usual. But he failed to score a single point. Robinson might miss RJ Barrett more than anyone else because Barrett’s the most likely player to throw him a lob.
It’s a bizarre game when Mitchell Robinson plays stellar defense, and New York still gives up 110 points. Robinson had most of the hallmarks of his better performances but couldn’t get the same impact we’re accustomed to. Mitch gets a 2 of 5 for going scoreless but defending well.
The Knicks’ second unit loses its edge
Immanuel Quickley: 14 PTS (5/10 FG, 1/3 3PT, 3/3 FT), 1 AST, 3 REB, 1 TO in 22 mins
Immanuel Quickley should have gotten more minutes. With Julius Randle struggling, New York only had Brunson and IQ to create with the ball in their hands. Quick took his typical runners and stepback J’s en route to an efficient 14 points in 22 minutes. There were no signs that he’d let up with more opportunities.
Quickley’s defense was also good, though he lacked the eye-popping sequences of help defense and movement that come with his best defensive performances. He was good enough to take some minutes from struggling shooters, at the very least.
I don’t have complaints about IQ. He played well and deserved a chance to be Brunson’s Robin more often in this game. His minutes are the only reason his stat line isn’t more impressive. Quickley gets a 3 of 5 for efficient scoring.
Donte DiVincenzo: 3 PTS (1/8 FG, 1/4 3PT), 4 REB, 1 TO in 18 mins
If we’re looking for a polar opposite to Quickley’s performance, there’s Donte DiVincenzo. DiVincenzo had several poor attempts, driving recklessly into Milwaukee’s big men and missing badly at the rim. To make matters worse, his three-point shot wasn’t falling.
Usually, Donte makes up for scoring trouble with work everywhere else. But he didn’t create much for teammates, was average in rebounding, and lacked the defensive bite we’ve seen in past performances.
DiVincenzo was still active, playing with an energy that typically forces things to happen. But he was ineffective this time, wasting possessions and missing opportunities to make the extra pass. Donte gets a 1 of 5 for a poor game.
Isaiah Hartenstein: 4 PTS (2/3 FG), 3 REB, 2 TO in 18 mins
Isaiah Hartenstein is another player who felt ineffective in his minutes. But I-Hart wasn’t bad; just a bit stuck amid the sea of wingspan and athleticism on the Bucks. He still hustled and played good defense when there were chances to make things happen.
I’ll add that one of Hartenstein’s turnovers was the fault of a cutter that stopped short. So, even the blemish on his stat line is somewhat excusable. But the quiet performance earns just 1.5 of 5 because he has to be more productive with nearly 20 minutes of action.
Tom Thibodeau can’t fix shooting woes
It’s always easiest to blame the coach in a tough loss. Tom Thibodeau leaned too heavily on a starting line-up that lacked shooting. He gave Donte DiVincenzo too much rope and not enough to IQ. But I don’t think coaching decisions can make up for the poor shooting from New York. Nothing short of Thibodeau suiting up and turning into the second coming of Steve Novak could change this team’s fate if they continue to shoot below 30 percent from three.
Closing Thoughts
Here I am again, calling for calm despite plenty of scary warning signs. The Knicks are off to a bad start, with a losing record and subpar offense. Their defense is good but exploitable and prone to letting shooters get hot. But they again played against an elite opponent and took the lead late in the fourth quarter despite all the struggles.
New York is closer to clicking than you might think. The early back-to-backs, an injured key player, and some slow starts have hindered any consistency we could hope for. But the fact that New York has been competitive any time they get a fair amount of rest is a promising one, considering how much has gone wrong to start the season.
The Knicks get a two-day break before welcoming the reloaded Clippers, now with James Harden, at the Garden. It won’t be easy, but it’s another chance to find rhythm and restore the energy of the fanbase. We’ll see how they do next time, Knicks fam!
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below! Also, stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the NBA season. And in case you missed it, check out CP’s interview with legendary Knicks sniper Steve Novak.
