Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 109-95 win over New York Knicks
Making their return to the Christmas day slate after 41 years, the Milwaukee Bucks took care of business over the lottery-bound New York Knicks Tuesday afternoon in Madison Square Garden.
One could say the reindeer reigned supreme Christmas morning as the Milwaukee Bucks made relatively easy work of the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden en route to a 109-95 win Tuesday.
It was the Bucks who struck first once things got underway following the opening jump, which prompted the Knicks to take a timeout close to four minutes into the contest. That proved to be what New York needed to shake off their rust as they outscored the Bucks 22-12 from that point on in the first and held a 24-22 lead after one.
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The Bucks regained the lead just 45 seconds into the second quarter and slowly but surely found their shooting touch after their mini scoring drought during the previous period.
Despite that, the Knicks were on the Bucks’ heels all throughout the period and the Bucks took a shaky 48-46 lead into halftime.
It was that third quarter, though, that proved to be the decisive frame for the Bucks, which was boosted by their ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities within the paint. Outscoring the Knicks 36-22 in the quarter, the Bucks held a very comfortable 84-68 lead through three.
From there, it was smooth sailing as the Bucks made good on preserving their double-digit lead over the Knicks during the fourth quarter by keeping up their edge defensively until the waning moments before the final buzzer sounded.
So without further ado, let’s dive into what stood out in the Bucks’ Christmas win over the New York Knicks, starting with the steady, commanding performance of Giannis Antetokounmpo.