Bucks 20, Knicks 19: Play-by-play, Highlights And Reactions

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Jalen Brunson has 15 in the first quarter. @Stefan Bondy recently wrote about a trend where it’s Julius Randle as the opener and Brunson as the closer. Against the Bucks, it’s the opposite. Randle can’t buy a three (0/7) but Brunson is hot to start. #Knicks – 8:03 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
Jalen Brunson has 15 of the Knicks’ 19 points. I’m thinking that ratio will have to change at some point if the Knicks want to stay in this game. – 8:02 PM

Steve Popper @StevePopper
Toppin may be in for Randle, but playing the part of Randle as the first quarter sniper is Jalen Brunson, who has 15 of the Knicks 19 points already. – 8:02 PM

Frank Madden @fmaddenNBA
Bobby coughs it up 30 feet from the hoop and instead of hustling back looks around at the ref. Randle blows a layup but gets the easy putback because Bobby didn’t run back on D. Simple stuff, man. – 8:01 PM

Steve Popper @StevePopper
And Obi Toppin is in for the first time since December 7 — subbing in for Randle with 3:52 left in the first quarter. – 7:58 PM

Jim Owczarski @JimOwczarski
The #Knicks take a 14-13 lead on the #Bucks, who came out of the last timeout with three straight turnovers and then missed the two shots they got up. They’re just 4-for-15 while the Knicks are 5-for-20 from the floor. – 7:58 PM

Steve Popper @StevePopper
Tonight may not be the night for Randle – after having 5 3’s in Toronto Friday he’s missed his first 7 from beyond the arc in the first quarter. – 7:57 PM

Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday had seven first-quarter fouls all season entering tonight.
He had three in the first 4:28 tonight vs. the Knicks, the fastest three fouls to start a game by anyone this season.
Mason Plumlee had three in the first 5:17 of Charlotte-Denver on Dec. 18. – 7:56 PM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Randle misses his first seven shots, then blows an open transition layup before finally getting one to fall after grabbing his own rebound. – 7:56 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
The Bucks: Totally fine with giving up a 3 if it means you’re not attacking the paint.
The Knicks: Totally fie with giving up a 3 if it means you’re not attacking the paint.
The result: A lot crap ton of 3s. – 7:55 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
I cannot imagine how deflating it must be to get Jrue Holiday into early foul trouble, congratulate yourself for getting an all-time defensive guard out of the game, and then to look up and see Jevon Carter is the guy coming in. – 7:53 PM

Jim Owczarski @JimOwczarski
Like in Toronto, the #Knicks came out misfiring on nearly everything. They went 0-for-7 to start and are just 2-for-13 — yet the #Bucks only lead 13-7 because they’re just 4-for-13. – 7:53 PM

Eric Nehm @eric_nehm
The Bucks lead, 13-7, with 5:46 left in the first quarter, which is nice, but this is going to be a tough first half with Jrue Holiday in foul trouble.
They’re going to really have to work on the offensive end for good looks, while still staying solid defensively. – 7:52 PM

Brian Mahoney @briancmahoney
Jrue Holiday picks up his third foul in the first 4 1/2 minutes of the game. Tough for a Bucks team still missing Khris Middleton. – 7:50 PM

Eric Nehm @eric_nehm
Jrue Holiday picks up three personal fouls in the first four and a half minutes.
Jevon Carter has entered for Holiday with 7:32 left in the first quarter. – 7:50 PM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
Make it 3 fouls on Jrue Holiday. Heady play by Jalen Brunson to drive right into him and force the contact. Jevon Carter is in for Milwaukee. – 7:50 PM

Steve Popper @StevePopper
3:57 into the game and the Knicks hit their first shot from the floor — A Brunson foul line jumper as a continuation on a Holiday foul. Missed their first 7 shots. – 7:48 PM

Jim Owczarski @JimOwczarski
The #Knicks started the game 0-for-7 until Jalen Brunson hits a continuation jumper on Jrue Holiday.
Holiday now has two fouls in the first four minutes of the game. – 7:48 PM

Brian Mahoney @briancmahoney
Bucks yielded season-worst 51 points in the first quarter against Charlotte in their last game. They started this one by forcing the Knicks to miss their first seven shots. – 7:48 PM

Eric Nehm @eric_nehm
Giannis Antetokounmpo with the catch-and-shoot three early here in New York.
Bucks have taken five 3s in the first two and a half minutes. They’ve made two of them and lead, 7-2, after a free throw from Giannis Antetokounmpo. – 7:46 PM

Jim Owczarski @JimOwczarski
#Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said Serge Ibaka will not be available on this trip for personal reason.
Milwaukee has a back-to-back in Atlanta (Wed) & Miami (Thu) and then an early tip in Miami on Sat. – 6:14 PM

Eric Nehm @eric_nehm
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters that Serge Ibaka is not with the team currently (personal reasons) and will not join the team on this four-game road trip. – 6:12 PM

Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
Mike Budenholzer says Serge Ibaka will not join Milwaukee on its four game trip that begins tonight against the Knicks. Bucks go on to play in Atlanta and then twice in Miami this week. – 6:06 PM

Ian Begley @IanBegley
RJ Barrett is ‘real close’ and doing well, Tom Thibodeau says. “We’ll see where he is tomorrow.” – 5:57 PM

Fred Katz @FredKatz
RJ Barrett is “real close. He’s doing well,” Tom Thibodeau says. “We’ll see how he’s doing tomorrow.” – 5:57 PM

Ian Begley @IanBegley
Unclear if Obi Toppin has progressed to point where he can play regular rotation minutes tonight vs. MIL. When asked if Toppin was ‘situational’ tonight, Tom Thibodeau said ‘he could be.’ He added that Toppin has progressed well in his recent workouts. – 5:51 PM

Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
Tom Thibodeau admits the fact the Knicks are playing well does make it more complicated to work someone like Obi Toppin back into the rotation. Toppin is back and available to play from the leg injury that has kept him out for the past month. – 5:50 PM

Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
Tom Thibodeau says RJ Barrett will remain out for the Knicks tonight against the Bucks here at Madison Square Garden. – 5:46 PM

Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
Yesterday was the 1-year anniversary of mobile sports betting being legalized in New York.
And the $$ for that first year is staggering.
$16,192,562,924 in handle in 2022 in NY.
Which generated $1,350,967,099 in revenue
Resulted in a total of $693 million generated in taxes. – 5:09 PM

Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
LeBron not playing tonight pushes his target date for breaking the NBA all-time scoring record — based on his current average — back to Feb. 9 against Milwaukee. – 4:30 PM

Steve Popper @StevePopper
So good and bad for the Knicks – Donovan Mitchell named eastern conference player of the week. But Randle and Brunson both were also nominated. So there’s that. – 3:54 PM

Eric Koreen @ekoreen
There are about a billion qualifiers here, and PHX, IND, MIL, NY, POR doesn’t represent the peak of NBA offence, but Raps have allowed just 107.9/100 over last 5 and opponent eFG% of 53.3. Both are huge improvements to play that came before it. – 1:42 PM

Mike Vorkunov @MikeVorkunov
Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the NBA in dunks right now. If he holds on for the rest of the season, the Milwaukee Bucks star would break Rudy Gobert’s four consecutive seasons reign as the NBA’s dunks leader.
Giannis has 111 in 29 games. He is AVERAGING 3.8 dunks per game. pic.twitter.com/ykcxOWXaBh – 1:35 PM