On a November night at Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks pulled away from the Milwaukee Bucks to win 117-85, a result that lifts New York to 6-4 while sending Milwaukee to a 1-10 start that its franchise has not seen in 33 years. The game was close for a quarter before a second-quarter surge, built on Tyler Kolek's hands and Karl-Anthony Towns's relentless glass work, turned it into a rout. It is the kind of evening that reminds a season how much of basketball is decided by who controls the boards and who refuses to let a lead slip.
Towns and Kolek Lead Knicks Past Bucks 117-85 as New York Extends Win Streak to Four
Ahead by two dozen at halftime, New York never really looked back
Mark
Milwaukee is 1-10. Is this game really about them?
Mimi
Not mostly. The Knicks' second quarter, 32-13, is what made it. Kolek's block, rebound and layup in one sequence is the kind of play that swung it.
Luke
Worth noting the recap floats reasons for Milwaukee's slide, like Giannis's importance or Jenkins being overrated, but those are the writer's musings, not established findings.
Mark
What stands out about Towns?
Mimi
21 points, 16 rebounds in 27 minutes, and 13.6 boards a night. He also missed his first six threes and then hit two in the fourth.
Luke
The MVP talk is the recap's playful framing. Nothing here confirms a real campaign.
Mark
And the minutes?
Mimi
No starter played over 30, which helps with Cleveland tomorrow.
Luke
Whether that rest actually matters tomorrow is unknown. We only know the minutes were low.
Mark
Was Milwaukee ever really in it?
Mimi
They cut it to 11 early in the fourth, then the Knicks went on a 21-6 run.
Il Polso
- The first quarter stayed tight, with the lead changing hands seven times before New York found its footing.
- A ten-point Knicks run in the second quarter flipped the game, and Milwaukee never recovered its rhythm.
- Towns and Kolek combined to steer a 21-6 fourth-quarter surge that stretched the margin from 13 to 28.
- Milwaukee's third-quarter comeback to 85-72 offered a flicker of hope that faded under New York's late pressure.
- New York returns to the Garden against Cleveland tomorrow night, with its starters having logged under 30 minutes each.
On a November night at Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks pulled away from the Milwaukee Bucks to win 117-85, a result that lifts New York to 6-4 while sending Milwaukee to a 1-10 start that its franchise has not seen in 33 years. The game was close for a quarter before a second-quarter surge, built on Tyler Kolek's hands and Karl-Anthony Towns's relentless glass work, turned it into a rout. It is the kind of evening that reminds a season how much of basketball is decided by who controls the boards and who refuses to let a lead slip.
By halftime at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks led 58-34, and the Bucks, who had competed for the opening twelve minutes, had come apart. The first quarter was a tug of war, with the lead changing hands seven times before New York went up 26-21 on the back of Landry Shamet's threes and Karl-Anthony Towns's defense and passing. Towns deterred a Ryan Rollins drive and then found Jalen Brunson cutting to the rim, a small sequence that set the tone for the night.
The second quarter decided it. After Milwaukee scored first, New York ran off ten straight points, with Tyler Kolek capping the run with a three, a block, a rebound and a layup the other way. By the midpoint of the frame the Knicks had outscored the Bucks 19-5, and OG Anunoby's eight points in the quarter gave New York a commanding lead.
Milwaukee came out of the break with purpose. Jaquez scored nine of his team's first 15 third-quarter points and the Bucks cut the deficit to 85-72. Towns missed his first six threes but still produced his tenth double-double of the season.
The fourth quarter belonged to New York. After Kel'el Ware's alley-oop briefly kept Milwaukee close, Towns hit a three, Kolek hit one, and Anunoby finished a 21-6 run with back-to-back threes. Towns finished with 21 points and 16 rebounds, Brunson scored 23, and Anunoby's 19 points carried a +26 mark. The Knicks led the conference in rebounding percentage at 53.3%, and it was their fourth win in five games holding an opponent under 100 points.
No Knicks starter played more than 30 minutes, a detail that matters with Cleveland visiting the Garden tomorrow night.
By halftime at Madison Square Garden, the scoreboard read 58-34 in New York's favor, and the Milwaukee Bucks, who had looked like a competent team for the first twelve minutes, had come apart. The Knicks went on to win 117-85, their fourth straight victory, moving to 6-4. Milwaukee fell to 1-10, which the recap describes as the franchise's worst start in 33 years.
The first quarter was closer than the final score suggests. The lead changed hands seven times before New York found traction late and went up 26-21. Landry Shamet hit two threes and Mikal Bridges had two buckets, three rebounds, a steal and a block. For Milwaukee, Ryan Rollins had five points, two assists, two rebounds and a steal. Karl-Anthony Towns set the tone at both ends: he deterred a Rollins drive on defense, then found Jalen Brunson cutting to the rim. The Knicks won the paint 16-6 and the boards 16-8 in that quarter, even as Milwaukee's three-point shooting kept it in the game.
The second quarter decided it. Milwaukee scored first, then New York ran off ten straight points. Tyler Kolek capped the run with a three, blocked an AJ Green three, grabbed the rebound and finished a layup going the other way. After a timeout from Bucks coach Taylor Jenkins, Kolek turned a missed Jaime Jaquez Jr. three into a driving finger roll. A little past the midpoint of the frame, New York had outscored Milwaukee 19-5. The Knicks took the quarter 32-13. OG Anunoby scored eight in it, with two threes, two assists and a steal, while Brunson added six. Nate Ament led Milwaukee with five points.
The halftime numbers show how lopsided it was despite the equal three-point work. Both teams had made eight threes, and Milwaukee shot 35% from deep to New York's 36%. Inside the arc, though, the Bucks were 5-for-19 against the Knicks' 14-for-27, and New York held a 34-17 rebounding edge, including 10 offensive boards. Andre Drummond grabbed nine rebounds in eight first-half minutes, three of them on the offensive end. Anunoby, Brunson and Shamet each had 10 points.
Milwaukee made a push after the break. Jaquez scored nine of his team's first 15 points of the third, and Rollins hit three threes. The Bucks won the quarter 38-27 and cut the deficit to 85-72. Towns missed his first six three-point attempts but still recorded his 10th double-double of the season, scoring 13 of New York's 27 third-quarter points. Kasparas Jakučionis added five points and two assists in the final 3:08 for Milwaukee.
Early in the fourth, after the Knicks allowed an alley-oop to Kel'el Ware, their lead was 11. Towns then made his first three in seven tries, and after he missed two free throws, Shamet rebounded and Kolek hit a three. Towns added another from deep, and he and Kolek combined for New York's first 11 points of the quarter. Anunoby hit back-to-back threes to finish a 21-6 run that stretched the margin from 13 to 28. Gary Trent Jr. scored five quick points for Milwaukee, but it did not matter. Dalton Knecht, Pacôme Dadiet and Jose Alvarado finished the game for New York.
Towns ended with 21 points and 16 rebounds in 27 minutes, and he is averaging 13.6 rebounds a night. The Knicks lead their conference in rebounding percentage at 53.3%. Brunson scored 23, Jaquez 16 for Milwaukee, and Kolek 12 in 15 minutes. Anunoby shot 6-of-12, including 5-of-8 from three, for 19 points and a +26 mark. Drummond finished with 14 rebounds in 16 minutes. It was the fourth time in five games that New York held an opponent under 100 points, and no Knicks starter played more than 30 minutes.
That last detail matters because the schedule is tight. New York is back at the Garden tomorrow night against Cleveland.
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