The New York Knicks dismantled a decimated Milwaukee Bucks squad 117-85 on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, extending their winning streak to four games. With Milwaukee’s leading scorer, Tyler Herro, sidelined by a bruised right knee following his trade to the Bucks, New York dominated from the opening tip. The Knicks built an insurmountable 58-34 halftime lead and pushed their advantage to 32 points in the final minutes, capping a performance that pushed them to a 6-4 record and into the top four of the Eastern Conference.
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Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns anchored the offensive effort, though the margin of victory obscured underlying concerns. Brunson finished with 23 points on inefficient 7-of-18 shooting in just 28 minutes, while Towns contributed a 21-point, 16-rebound double-double. The ease of this win, however, is misleading; the Knicks have beaten six teams in their last seven games, but those opponents entered those contests with a combined 12-27 record. Only two of those six teams held winning records at the time, highlighting that New York’s current surge has been fueled largely by favorable matchups rather than dominance over elite competition.
The narrative shifts significantly on Wednesday as the Knicks face the Cleveland Cavaliers on the second night of a back-to-back. While Cleveland entered Tuesday with a 5-6 record, they are a far sterner test than the 1-9 Bucks. The Knicks’ ability to maintain intensity against a rested, competitive opponent will be the true indicator of their trajectory. If New York can secure a win against Cleveland, it will validate their recent momentum; a loss would suggest their current standing is inflated by a soft schedule, leaving them vulnerable as the season progresses.
Source: Yahoo Sports
