With both teams battling for position in different spots of the Eastern Conference standings, the visiting New York Knicks take on the suddenly hot Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.
New York finishes a three-game Central Division road trip following a six-point victory over the Chicago Bulls and a 15-point setback against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. The Knicks sit 1 1/2 games behind the Boston Celtics for second in the East and hold a half-game lead over No. 4 Cleveland.
In head coach Mike Brown’s first season, the Knicks have pushed aside the grind-it-out mentality they had under Tom Thibodeau. New York’s 117.1 points per game are the franchise’s most since a 117.3 clip in 1959-60.
However, Brown’s team is coming off one of its worst offensive performances. The Knicks mustered just 94 points — including 11 in the third quarter — against Cleveland, a result Brown ascribed to tempo.
“One of the things we have to do better, especially offensively, is play with pace,” Brown said. “Our pace isn’t good. We have to do a better job of getting to the corners. We have to do a better job of playing with pace in the frontcourt. … It was a tough loss, ugly game overall (on Tuesday). We’ve got to get back and figure out what we need to do to get a win on Friday.”
New York’s leading scorer, Jalen Brunson (26.7 points per game), shot just 31.6% (6 of 19) in the loss.
Fellow All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns adds 20.0 points and 11.7 rebounds per game, while OG Anunoby chips in 16.0 points.
The Knicks can clinch the three-game season series with Milwaukee following a 10-point loss to the Bucks in October and a nine-point win in November.
At the start of February, Milwaukee’s chances of extending its postseason streak to 10 straight years looked bleak. The Bucks, without injured superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, were 18-29 on Feb. 1.
Milwaukee has since won eight of 10 games, including back-to-back wins over the Miami Heat and Cleveland this week, and sits one game behind the Charlotte Hornets for the final play-in slot.
“When you lose a bunch of games in a row and a game gets tight, you start thinking about losing. It’s human nature,” head coach Doc Rivers said. “But eight out of 10 is phenomenal with this group. With no Giannis, you take that all day.”
Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since Jan. 23 with a left calf strain, but the two-time MVP could be nearing a return, according to Rivers.
In the meantime, Milwaukee has relied on a group effort to replace his averages of 28.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Seven Bucks scored in double figures in the 118-116 win over Cleveland on Wednesday.
“That’s how we have to play. We have to keep playing that way,” Rivers said. “If you watch us play the last 10 games, it’s obvious when we stop doing that. It stands out.”
Kevin Porter Jr. averages 18.2 points and a team-high 7.6 assists, while Ryan Rollins has enjoyed a career year with 17.2 points and 5.4 assists.
