The Milwaukee Bucks’ recent surge hit a wall Friday night as the New York Knicks rolled into Fiserv Forum and delivered a statement win, dismantling the home team 127-98 in front of a lively Wisconsin crowd. This highly anticipated Eastern Conference showdown, broadcast live on MSG and FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin, had all the makings of a marquee matchup—at least on paper. But from the opening tip, the Knicks seized control, capitalizing on Milwaukee’s depleted roster and defensive woes to notch a victory that keeps them firmly in the conference’s upper echelon.
Coming into this contest, the Bucks were riding high, having won eight of their last ten games despite the continued absence of franchise cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo, sidelined with a right calf strain since January 23. Their hot shooting had masked some glaring defensive deficiencies, with Milwaukee surrendering an average of 114.3 points per game in that span. Still, optimism swirled around the team’s resilience and the emergence of key contributors like Kevin Porter Jr. and Myles Turner. The betting markets, however, weren’t convinced: the Knicks entered as 8.5-point favorites, and the total points line dropped from an opener of 220.5 to 217.5, reflecting skepticism about Milwaukee’s offensive firepower without Giannis.
The game’s opening quarter quickly set the tone for what would become a lopsided affair. Knicks star Jalen Brunson wasted no time, torching the Bucks for 22 points on an eye-popping 9-of-10 shooting in just the first period. Bucks head coach Doc Rivers acknowledged the defensive lapses, stating, “We had a bunch of game-plan mistakes and he took advantage early.” By halftime, the Knicks had built a commanding 77-57 lead, shooting a blistering 60.9% from the field and a jaw-dropping 59.9% from beyond the arc, hitting 13 of their first 22 three-point attempts. Brunson finished the night with 27 points, while O.G. Anunoby added 24, and seven Knicks players reached double figures in scoring—a testament to the team’s balanced attack.
Milwaukee’s defensive strategy was clear: pack the paint and force New York into outside shots. But as Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. explained, “That was the game plan to pack the paint. They made shots. Josh Hart came out and hit two. Then we started overhelping on the shooters when we shouldn’t have and they started hitting. Those threes definitely early on caused us to overhelp and they hit more threes.” The Knicks’ long-range barrage continued throughout, as they finished 21-of-39 (53.8%) from deep, their biggest lead ballooning to 32 points in the fourth quarter.
On the other end, the Bucks’ offense sputtered, particularly in the second half. Myles Turner led Milwaukee with 19 points, including four three-pointers, but the team struggled to generate consistent movement or penetration against New York’s set defense. “I thought the ball was just dribbled way too much,” Rivers lamented. “Analytically, we talked about it before the game, the Knicks are a very good dribble defensive team. They’re not as good when you move the ball and get to the second side, swing… we did that in the first quarter-and-a-half, then we went to just dribbling life out of the ball.”
Despite brief glimmers of hope—Milwaukee cut the deficit to 15 points on a couple of third-quarter possessions—the Knicks had an answer every time, pushing their lead back to 20 and entering the final period up 103-83. Bucks guard Ryan Rollins summed up the team’s frustration: “We was grabbing the ball out of the rim the whole time and their defense was set. So we didn’t get into transition too much. I don’t think we got a lot of fast-break points at all. So it’s kind of tough in that situation playing against a set defense. They’re a long team. They did a good job packing the paint, too. We just got to execute our sets.”
For the Knicks, this win was a much-needed bounce-back after a dispiriting loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier in the week, where they managed just 11 points in the third quarter and fell 109-94. Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges had combined for 38 points in that game, but New York’s offense sputtered. Friday night in Milwaukee, however, was a different story. The team’s offensive rating of 116.3 (20th in the NBA) belied their efficiency against the Bucks, and the chemistry between Brunson and big man Karl-Anthony Towns was on full display. Towns, who has averaged 11.7 rebounds per game this season, contributed on the glass and helped space the floor, while Anunoby’s 24 points provided a crucial secondary scoring punch.
Kevin Porter Jr., who has been the Bucks’ engine since returning from injury on February 4, struggled to make his usual impact. He had led Milwaukee in assists in eight of his last nine games and averaged 21.9 points per game in February—his best month of the season—but the Knicks’ defense kept him in check. Porter missed the first two meetings with New York this season, and his return was seen as a potential X-factor. Yet, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Taurean Prince both out, Milwaukee’s margin for error was razor-thin.
The Bucks’ loss drops them to 26-32, keeping them mired in 11th place in the Eastern Conference and just outside the play-in picture. Their home-heavy schedule continues, with a quick road trip to Chicago on March 1 before returning to Fiserv Forum for a crucial five-game homestand, including a matchup with the Atlanta Hawks—another team fighting for a play-in berth. The pressure is mounting, and as Rollins put it, “Where we’re at right now, we can’t harp on anything. Even our wins, we got to get to the next game. Each game is its own battle, so we got to flush this.”
For New York, the victory cements their third-place standing in the East at 38-22, seven games behind first but now with a full-game cushion over the Cavaliers. After a rocky night in Cleveland, the Knicks’ ability to regroup and dominate on the road speaks volumes about their playoff aspirations and depth. Jalen Brunson’s continued emergence as one of the NBA’s elite scorers—he entered the game averaging 26.7 points per contest, ranking 10th in the league—remains the team’s driving force, and with contributions from throughout the rotation, the Knicks look poised for a strong postseason push.
As the Bucks look to regroup and the Knicks keep their eyes trained on the top of the standings, Friday’s blowout served as a reminder of how quickly fortunes can shift in the NBA. With stars sidelined and roles shifting nightly, it’s anyone’s guess what the next chapter will hold—but for now, the Knicks have fired a warning shot to the rest of the conference: underestimate them at your peril.