The first of two NBA in-season tournament games will be played in Milwaukee on Tuesday. The New York Knicks are on the road at the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks come into the game as the favorite in this one. Milwaukee is listed at -4.5, with a total of 225.5 on Tuesday.
The New York Knicks finished second in Group B of the Eastern Conference. After losing to the Bucks in the first game of the group, they went on and beat the Heat, Hornets and Wizards. The Knicks got into the tournament as the wildcard over Orlando and Cleveland due to their +10.5 point differential in group play. The Knicks are 12-7 on the season, which is fifth in the East. The Knicks have won three in a row, and 7 out of their last 10 games.
The Milwaukee Bucks went 4-0 and outscored opponents by nearly 12 points during the in-season tournament play. The Bucks are 14-6 overall on the season, and have won 8 out of their last 10 games. The Bucks are 9-1 at home this season.
Antetokounmpo Continues Domination
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been an absolute force this season for the Milwaukee Bucks. After losing to the Bulls in Chicago, he was not allowing a second loss in a row. He scored 32 points, dished out 10 assists and ripped down 11 rebounds in the win over the Hawks. It was his first triple-double of the season and 36th in his career.
On the season, he is scoring 29.9 points per game. Damian Lillard has been terrific in his first season with the Bucks. The point guard is scoring 25.5 points per game, and leading the team with nearly 7 assists per game.
The Bucks are looking to win 50+ games in the regular season for the third straight season. The Bucks won 51 games in 2021-2022, then 58 last season. Milwaukee is also hungry after losing in the first round of the postseason last year.
Knicks Seeking Fourth Straight
The New York Knicks are seeking their fourth straight win. THe latest win saw Jalen Brunspn lead the way with 22 points, while Josh Hart added 17. Brunson and the Knicks are up to 110 points per game on the offensive side. The defense is where they made their hay in the group play, allowing less than 100 per game.
In a recent win over the Pistons, Brunson led the way with a season high 42 points. Julius Randle also had a monster game with 29 points and 10 rebounds. On the season, Brunson leads with 24.9 points per game, while Randle is adding 20.4.
The Knicks are seeking back to back winning seasons, after winning 47 games a season ago.
Bucks Top Knicks Again
The Milwaukee Bucks are at another level right now. The Knicks have been really good as of late, and been solid on the defensive end. The problem here is – how do you guard the Milwaukee Bucks? The combination of the Greek Freak and Damian Lillard is too tough to slow down. While the Knicks compete in this game, it’s too much Milwaukee. The Bucks win this game by 5 points or more. Take Milwaukee -4.5 over New York.
