3 reasons why New York Knicks will upset Milwaukee Bucks in 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals

Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and New York Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson

The New York Knicks take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA In-Season Tournament’s quarterfinals on Tuesday. With the tournament entering its knockout stage, it will feature a single-elimination format. So, Tuesday’s winner will automatically advance to the semifinals.

Milwaukee previously matched up with New York in an In-Season Tournament group-stage game on Nov. 3 and came away with a 110-105 victory. The Bucks (14-6) also have a better record than the Knicks (12-7). Thus they are favored to win.

However, New York has been playing much better basketball as of late, having won 10 of its last 13 games. The Knicks also have the personnel to match up well with Milwaukee. So, things could be different this time around.

On that note, here are three reasons why New York could pull off the upset:

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3 reasons why the New York Knicks could eliminate the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals

#3. The Knicks have a top-three defense

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson

If the In-Season Tournament is at all treated like a playoff game, then the pace of play will likely slow down and defense will be crucial. This favors New York, which ranks No. 3 in the league in defensive rating (109.0).

The Knicks proved to be an elite defensive team in the 2023 NBA playoffs, as they finished second in defensive rating (107.8) over 11 games. This included them smothering the Cleveland Cavaliers en route to a 4-1 first-round upset victory.

The team has good size as well as one of the brightest defensive coaching minds in the league in Tom Thibodeau. So, New York should be well-suited to counter Milwaukee’s fourth-ranked offense (118.0 offensive rating) led by superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

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#2. Milwaukee has been struggling defensively

Milwaukee Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard

While New York has thrived on defense to start the season, the opposite is true for Milwaukee, which ranks just 21st in defensive rating (115.1).

The Bucks have been sorely lacking wing and guard defense. So, in a playoff-like atmosphere, they may be forced to over-rely on Antetokounmpo defensively.

Meanwhile, they may not have the defensive personnel to stop the Knicks’ perimeter players, most notably star point guard Jalen Brunson.

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#1. Jalen Brunson has been playing at an elite level

New York Knicks star point guard Jalen Brunson

The Knicks have lacked a definitive No. 1 scoring option in recent seasons. However, Jalen Brunson has been looking the part as of late.

Over his last eight games, Brunson is averaging 28.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 3.9 3-pointers per game on 52.6% shooting. Meanwhile, through 19 games, he has already recorded six 30-point games and two 40-point games.

In his last matchup against the Bucks, Brunson recorded a season-high 45 points on 56.7% shooting. So, if he can continue his elite play on Tuesday, he could carry the Knicks to victory.