The Milwaukee Bucks earned the right to face the Indiana Pacers in the semi-finals of the NBA In-Season Tournament by beating the New York Knicks. Milwaukee erupted for a season-high 146 points to overwhelm New York, particularly in the second half to run away with the win. Tuesday night’s game was a far cry from their first encounter in November when both teams could hardly hit shots. The Knicks played well, but the Bucks just had too much firepower.
Milwaukee scored at least 34 points in each of the four quarters. The Bucks had a 75-72 edge after the first half but broke the game open in the next 24 minutes. With Milwaukee firing on all cylinders, they exploded for a 71-50 advantage in the second half to cruise to the victory.
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Fans promptly took to X, formerly Twitter, to react to the Bucks’ win over the Knicks:
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“This offense is everything I’ve ever dreamed of”
The Milwaukee Bucks had the fourth-best offensive rating in the NBA. They put up 122.3 points per game, which is the third-best mark in the league. Milwaukee is also second in field goal percentage (50.0%) and fifth in 3-point efficiency (38.4%). Against the New York Knicks, their arsenal was on full display.
The Bucks demolished the Knicks with exceptional shooting in the quarterfinal of the NBA In-Season Tournament. They hit 55-91 shots (60.4%), including a staggering 23-38 (60.5%) from behind the arc. If Milwaukee continues to shoot like this, they’ll be nearly unstoppable.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard arguably played their best game of the season as a duo. “The Greek Freak” had 35 points on 15-22 shooting. He also had 10 assists, eight rebounds and three steals. Antetokounmpo’s 13 third-quarter points were the start of Milwaukee Bucks’ explosive second half.
Lillard tallied 28 points, hitting 8-13 shots, including 5-7 from deep. “Dame Time” also contributed seven assists, three rebounds, one steal and one block. It was the superstar point guard who torched the New York Knicks with clutch shot after clutch shot in their first meeting. The Knicks couldn’t keep their eyes off Lillard in the rematch.
Malik Beasley was a key factor in the Milwaukee Bucks’ throttling of the New York Knicks
The New York Knicks defense was determined to limit Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. When the Milwaukee Bucks acquired “Dame Time” in the offseason, they went out to get players who can punish defenses for concentrating too much on the two superstars.
Malik Beasley, who had a decent season with the LA Lakers, was one of those who were signed to play such a role. With Antetokounmpo and Lillard hitting their stride, New York’s defense had the two in their sights even more. Beasley maximized the open looks he got out of the Knicks’ relentless pressure on the Bucks’ 1-2 punch.
The veteran guard hit 6-10 shots from behind the arc, forcing the Knicks to an even more tough position on defense. When Malik Beasley gets hot the way he did against New York, the Milwaukee Bucks are just too tough to beat.
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