NEW YORK, NY — The New York Knicks fell to 2-2 on the season after losing their second straight game, this time to the Milwaukee Bucks, 121-111, Tuesday night on the road at Fiserv Forum in front of 16,309 fans. The loss dropped New York to 0-2 away from Madison Square Garden.
It was a tale of two halves for the Knicks. In the first half, the offense looked sharp, led by Jalen Brunson, recording 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and Mikal Bridges with 12 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. The Knicks closed the first half with a 12-point lead, winning the possession battle and catching fire from deep—going 8-for-11 from three in the second quarter alone.
But former two-time league MVP and 2021 NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo single-handedly willed the Bucks back into the game, finishing with a game-high 37 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped a game-high of 37 points in Milwaukee’s win over the Knicks Tuesday night at the Fiserv Forum – Image Credit: NBA
New York was outscored by 15 in the third quarter but managed to tie the game with under six minutes remaining. However, Antetokounmpo, known as the “Greek Freak” and the Bucks dominated the final five minutes, outscoring the Knicks 14-8 to close out the game. In the second half as a whole, Milwaukee outscored New York by 22 points.
It’s been a tough start for Karl-Anthony Towns as he adjusts to Mike Brown’s system. After the season opener, the Dominican-American revealed he’s been playing through a Grade 2 quad strain, an injury that may still be affecting his performance. His stat line on the night wasn’t pretty, eight points on 2-of-12 shooting 0-of-3 from three with only one made basket in the first half. Despite the struggles, Towns did impact the game on the glass, pulling down a game-high 12 rebounds.
As the Knicks have gone 2-2 in their first four games this regular season season, KAT has recorded 17 points per game with 13.5 rebounds per game, which is currently the fifth-best mark in the NBA – Image Credit: NBA
Mike Brown emphasized Towns’ importance to the Knicks’ offense after the game, saying:
“KAT’s first couple of plays… he started the dominance. He caught that thing and made a quick decision, he sprayed the ball, got guys wide open looks. I promise you, if we do the things we’re talking about offensively—in terms of our staples—KAT is gonna be more than fine. We just have to play with a little more pace. All of us. I’ve talked to KAT about it.”
Towns knows how vital he is to this team’s success. If the Knicks have championship aspirations, he understands he must play better. Before the season opener, Towns admitted uncertainty about his role in Brown’s offense, stating, “I don’t know,” which raised some eyebrows. After this loss, however, he took full accountability:
“I gotta be better. We continue to work, we continue to put the work in and get ready for the next one. I gotta do whatever is needed to win. I pressed a little bit too much today [in the second half]. I didn’t do what we needed to do to win tonight. That’s on me, and I take full responsibility.”
Brunson delivered another 30-point performance, 36 points on 14-of-25 shooting 1-of-5 from three with three assists and three rebounds, but it wasn’t enough.
The Knicks faithful held their breath in the fourth quarter when Brunson appeared to injure his leg while scrambling for a loose ball. He stayed in the game but was clearly in discomfort. On one possession, while dribbling against Antetokounmpo, Brunson fell backward in pain and lost the ball, allowing the former Defensive Player of the Year to steal it and throw down a dunk to tie the game at 103 with 6:13 left, sparking Milwaukee’s decisive 8-0 run.
After the game, Brunson reflected on the growing pains under Brown’s new offensive system:
“There’s gonna be times where things aren’t going our way. It’s on us as teammates to have his back. We’re not gonna use it as an excuse for long. It’s still fresh for us.”
Bridges finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds, continuing to show noticeable growth under Brown compared to last season. He looks like the player the Knicks traded for, attacking the rim with confidence, hitting threes, defending at a high level, and even blocking Antetokounmpo during the game at one point. His aggressiveness and comfort level have been clear early in the season.
There’s been plenty of buzz around the Knicks’ rumored interest in Antetokounmpo. During the game, Giannis threw down a powerful dunk and yelled, “This is my city!”
On October 7, ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania reported that “New York emerged as the only team Giannis Antetokounmpo desired outside of Milwaukee in the offseason, and the Knicks and Bucks engaged in talks for a window of time.”
After the game, Antetokounmpo dismissed those rumors:
“Who said that? I don’t read that. I don’t remember that. Right now I’m here, representing my team and that’s it.”
“We beat the Knicks. (The trade rumor) doesn’t really matter. What matters right now is we have a game in two days against Golden State, try to stay locked in and get two in a row. I didn’t read that article. Try to stay away from all that—rumors, speculation and trades and all this. It doesn’t concern me one bit.”
When asked if he had extra motivation playing the Knicks, he added:
“For sure, it was extra. They swept us last year. We didn’t make it tough for them. It was very easy, in my opinion. As a leader of this team, I remember. I don’t forget things.”
With Antetokounmpo dropping 37 and Brunson continuing to perform at an All-Star level, speculation around which pairing—Brunson and Towns or Brunson and Antetokounmpo—would be more effective has started to swirl from industry insiders.
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo dismissed any talk and banter of trade rumors after his dominant performance on the Knicks Tuesday night in Milwaukee – Image Credit: NBA
For now, Brown’s biggest task remains figuring out how to maximize Towns in his new offense.
The Knicks were again without key reserve Miles McBride (personal reasons), Guerschon Yabusele (left knee injury), and Mitchell Robinson (left ankle management). Yabusele has struggled to find his rhythm early in the season, raising questions about his conditioning. Despite looking solid during FIBA play with Team France, he’s appeared a step slow, likely still adjusting to his new team, role, and system.
New York returns to action Friday to begin a back-to-back against the Chicago Bulls, before returning home to MSG. Brown and his staff will review film and make adjustments to avoid an early-season slide. It’s worth noting that last season, the Knicks started 5-6 before hitting their stride. For Brown, establishing momentum early is crucial, both for team morale and to quiet the inevitable noise from New York’s demanding sports media landscape.
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