3 takeaways from Milwaukee Bucks’ double-digit win over New York Knicks

The Milwaukee Bucks’ formidable defense looks up to par in the win over the New York Knicks

Great defense is nothing new for the Bucks, but they looked like a well-oiled machine on that side of the ball against the Knicks.

First and foremost, the Bucks did an excellent job defensively on Julius Randle and Evan Fournier. Randle, an All-Star and Most Improved Player last season, played what could have been his worst game of the season as he tallied just eight points on 2-of-9 shooting while notching a whopping seven turnovers on the day. Antetokounmpo and Portis did a fantastic job keeping him in check in this matchup, which was instrumental in the win. The same goes for Fournier, who could not get into a groove all day as he added six points on 2-of-8 shooting. It was great work all-around.

While the defensive efforts on Randle and Fournier stand out, the Bucks dominated defensively in both points in the paint and second-chance points. Milwaukee limited New York to 30 paint points as the Antetokounmpo-Portis tandem did a solid job protecting anything close to the hoop. They also surrendered just four second-chance points, making sure that the opposition would not get to capitalize on those crucial extra opportunities.

Despite being without defensive contributors in Brook Lopez, Donte DiVincenzo, and Semi Ojeleye, the Bucks are still clicking on that side of things. Fortunately, they will be getting one of them back soon here as DiVincenzo is slated to make his season debut this Wednesday against the rivaling Indiana Pacers.

Before DiVincenzo’s highly-anticipated return on Wednesday, the Bucks will have one more game to play, a rematch with the Boston Celtics tonight. Be sure to catch the action at 6:30 p.m. CST on Bally Sports Wisconsin as the Bucks look to keep their recent momentum going.