The Knicks have more than enough after all.
Down Jalen Brunson (ankle), Miles McBride (groin) and Cameron Payne (ankle), the Knicks were down to their fourth- and fifth-string point guards for Friday night’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The reserves answered the bell: Delon Wright started at point guard, Tyler Kolek continued his play-making wizardry off the bench, and the Knicks blitzed the Bucks early, then played a game of keep-away with the lead in a 116-107 victory at Milwaukee’s FiServ Forum on Friday.
Wright, who the Knicks fittingly acquired from the Bucks in the Jericho Sims trade, scored 10 points in the first quarter and finished with 12 points and four assists on 5-of-9 shooting from the field. Kolek added five points and five assists with no turnovers in 17 minutes off the bench. The Knicks turned the ball over just eight times on Friday.
“They did an amazing job taking what’s there,” OG Anunoby said in his walk-off interview after the game. “Being aggressive trying to set us up get us into sets. They’ve done a phenomenal job and it’s getting better and better each game.”
The showdown between Eastern Conference title hopefuls had direct implications on the playoff picture: The Bucks, who’ve spiraled without Damian Lillard (deep vein thrombosis), have plummeted to sixth in the East, while the Knicks are hoping to stave-off the Indiana Pacers, trailing by just three games in the standings.
By beating the Bucks, the Knicks didn’t just help their own odds at keeping the No. 3 seed. They also did themselves a favor by increasing their chances of drawing a wounded Milwaukee team in the first round.
The Knicks, of course, are wounded, too.
And they leaned on Wright’s defensive instincts to fuel a victory on Friday. Wright, an aggressive perimeter defender known for playing the passing lanes and getting deflections, helped the Knicks force 16 Bucks turnovers. New York turned those turnovers into 26 points, getting out in transition for quick strikes before the Milwaukee defense could recover.
Anunoby led the way with 31 points on a perfect 10-of-10 from the foul line, tying a career-high for free throw attempts in a game. The star forward who signed a five-year, $212.5 million deal has scored 23 or more points in each of his last five games.
Anunoby said in his walk-off interview this stretch is the best-scoring run of his career.
“I’ve been getting better and better each game,” he said. “That’s what it’s about. Growth. Just staying positive looking forward to the next one, always looking to grow and get better each game.
“Keep moving, be aggressive when I get it, be decisive, make an attack, and whatever I do, do it aggressively.”
Mikal Bridges added 26 point on 12-of-24 shooting from the field, and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Towns tweaked his leg in the first quarter but powered through to play 32 minutes on Friday.
The Bucks were also shorthanded with Lillard out indefinitely.
Get used to seeing Giannis Antetokounmpo coming downhill with a head full of steam. The Greek Freak has ditched the three for more brute-force twos, and the Knicks — like most teams — had a tough time stopping his force on Friday.
Antetokounmpo finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and seven assists but got into foul trouble early. Milwaukee’s Kyle Kuzma and Ryan Rollins added 20 each.
The Knicks found success countering Antetokounmpo with the Towns-Mitchell Robinson pairing. Robinson continued his progression post ankle surgery with two points and 10 rebounds off the bench on Friday.
Next up, the Knicks return home to host the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.
