Bucks rally too late in 129-122 Christmas Day loss to Knicks
The Milwaukee Bucks had a couple of streaks come to an end Monday afternoon in a 129-122 loss to the New York Knicks.
The Knicks (17-12) snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Bucks (22-8). They also stopped a five-game Milwaukee win streak at Madison Square Garden. The Bucks also saw their seven-game win streak end.
The last time the Knicks beat the Bucks was Nov. 5, 2021.
Box score: Knicks 129, Bucks 122
The Bucks trailed by 13 points with 2 minutes 49 seconds left in the game and cut the deficit to six about a minute later but could not get over the hump as they missed their next four shots after that point.
New York was led again by Jalen Brunson with 38 points, leading six Knicks players in double figures.
Damian Lillard scored 32 points (10 of 21 shooting, 4 of 13 from behind the three-point line) and handed out eight assists in his second Christmas Day game. Giannis Antetokounmpo also scored 32. Khris Middleton had 24 points and six assists. Brook Lopez had 14 points and Bobby Portis scored 12 off the bench.
Giannis Antetokounmpo heats up too late for Bucks
Antetokounmpo, the Bucks' MVP candidate, had nine points on 4 of 10 shooting in the first half – and not surprisingly his team trailed by double digits for most of the opening 24 minutes. But in the third quarter he scored 17 points on 6 of 9 shooting, including a step-back three-pointer (It was his first made three since Dec. 17 against Houston and just his third triple of the month). The three brought the Bucks to within six at 90-84 before subbing out with 1 minute 45 seconds left.
Unfortunately for the Bucks, the Knicks extended their lead back to 98-87 after he sat down.
He returned at the 9:57 mark in the fourth and the Knicks up 104-92, but despite the time left on the clock it wasn’t enough to allow the Bucks to complete their rally.
He finished with 32 points, which was his second 30-point game since scoring a franchise record 64 vs. Indiana on Dec. 13. It is his 17th 30-point game of the season. His 13 rebounds marked his 14th game of at least 30 points and 10 rebounds, which is No. 2 in the NBA behind reigning MVP Joel Embiid of Philadelphia.
Antetokounmpo has played through a right midfoot sprain since suffering the injury sometime during the San Antonio game Dec. 19. Monday was his 19th straight game played, his longest consecutive game streak since appearing in 31 in a row during the championship season of 2020-21.
R.J. Barrett, Immanuel Quickley helps Knicks’ stars
Brunson continued to have success against the Bucks this season with a 38-point effort on 15 of 28 shooting. Forward Julius Randle also reached double figures (24 points) on 17 shots – but the difference in this game was the fact that R.J. Barrett and Immanuel Quickely had good games.
In previous Bucks victories over the Knicks this season, Brunson and Randle were able to get up their shots and score their points but the supporting players were effectively rendered bystanders. And while the other six Knicks who played didn’t have great games, Barrett’s 21-point effort on 8 of 14 shooting and Quickley’s 20-point addition off the bench were enough to help New York overcome a cold-shooting Milwaukee team.
Malik Beasley shut out
Malik Beasley has been a terrific addition to the Bucks offense this season, entering Monday’s game as the No. 8 three-point shooter in the league at 45.7% on 6.4 attempts per game. With that, he came in averaging 11.9 points per game. He also had made at least one three-pointer in 18 straight games, a stretch where he was knocking down 47.7% of his triples.
But on Monday, the shooting guard was effectively taken out of the offense. He was 0-for-1 from behind the three-point line and 0-for-2 overall. It was the first time he didn’t make a three and was held scoreless since a Nov. 11 loss at Orlando.
More: How the Milwaukee Bucks will celebrate Christmas in New York: Trees, family and Broadway
5 Christmas numbers
3 Christmas Day games the Milwaukee Hawks played, losing to the Syracuse Nationals in 1951, losing to the Fort Wayne Pistons in 1952 and Boston in 1954.
6 Khris Middleton threes on Christmas Day 2020 vs. Golden State, which is tied for third-most all-time on the holiday.
5-5 Bucks all-time record on Christmas Day. They have played six straight games on the holiday.
38 Points scored by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in an overtime loss against Detroit in 1971. It is the single-game Christmas Day record for the Bucks, one of the few records Abdul-Jabbar still holds.
56 All-time Christmas Day games for the Knicks, the most in NBA history. They now 24-32 on the day after beating the Bucks.
5 numbers
2 Losses for the Bucks thus far in December. They last lost on Dec. 7 in Las Vegas during the In-Season Tournament.
6-6 Bucks' road record this season.
4-10 Shooting in the first half of each of the Bucks’ Big Three of Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Lillard. Their cold shooting contributed the Knicks to taking a 62-51 lead at the break.
20 Technical fouls called this season on Bucks players after Middleton was T’d up in the first half. He has been whistled for a pair of technicals this season.
30 Combined points scored by Antetokounmpo (17) and Lillard (13) in the third quarter, but the rest of the team only added six. The Knicks scored 36 points also, mitigating the Bucks’ star power and keeping an 11-point lead going into the fourth.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bucks rally too late in 129-122 Christmas Day loss to Knicks
