Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 109-95 win over New York Knicks

Thon Merry-ial Maker

Easily the biggest Christmas surprise in the Bucks’ win over the Knicks was the performance of backup Bucks big man Thon Maker.

Upon entering the game, Maker was crackling with a bunch of energy, not unlike chestnuts roasting over an open Christmas fire. That led to some shaky moments where Maker’s inability to corral loose balls, potential rebounding opportunities and passes for easy scoring opportunities in the paint stuck out throughout the Bucks’ first quarter struggles.

Fortunately for the Bucks’ benefit, Maker found his footing as the game wore on and showed some nice skills that aren’t normally associated with his game. That ranged from throwing down a pair of nice two-handed slam dunks, as well as showcasing his floating touch at the free throw line.

All in all, the Australian international matched his season-high for points in a single game with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field (0-of-2 from long range, 2-of-5 from the charity stripe), three rebounds, two blocks, and he was a +11 in just 15 minutes of run.

Maker’s minutes, however short or long, will always be an adventure, but the more showings we see like this from the 21-year-old, the better it is in the long run for the Bucks’ second unit and beyond.

The Bucks will have their turn of hosting the Knicks Thursday night at Fiserv Forum for a 7pm central time tip off that will close out their four-game season series between the two teams.