The New York Knicks were able to get the 118-109 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, advancing to the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup tournament while extending their win streak to three in a row. 

In the second meeting between these two teams thus far during the regular season, the Knicks dominated the second half in scoring, outmatching their opponent in the third and fourth quarters. Jalen Brunson had one of his best showings in a Knicks uniform, dropping 37 points and five rebounds with four made three-pointers.

Brunson couldn’t be stopped the entire night, as he went on multiple scoring streaks throughout the game. 

This game was the definition of runs, as Milwaukee got to an early 18-10 start, before New York answered back with their own 9-0 stretch. Milwaukee would go back up by 10 before the Knicks cut it back down to four points. 

As for New York, the rest of their lineup wouldn’t turn up the notch on offense until the second half, including a 19-point performance from both Josh Hart and Miles McBride. Hart would earn another spot in the starting lineup, giving the Knicks a bit of energy quicker than Mitchell Robinson.

The bench, although it wasn’t anything spectacular, would see everyone get their own buckets. Tyler Kolek continued to impress in the short but sweet amount of time he was on the floor, scoring five points, one assist, and two steals. 

Milwaukee was in between a rock and a hard place the entire game, as the return of Giannis Antetokounmpo saw the team’s medical staff place him on a minutes restriction after missing four straight games. Antetokounmpo only logged 28 minutes on the night, scoring 30 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists on a dominant showcase.

However, he wasn’t able to see as much court time as he would’ve liked, halting the Bucks’ chances of making stronger pushes throughout the contest. 

This game had major implications regarding the NBA cup, letting New York advance to the quarter finals for the third straight season in the league’s three-year history of the tournament. No matter the opponent, the Knicks have always provided their best form of basketball when the court changes color. 

New York will now anxiously await their opponent, facing either the Orlando Magic or Toronto Raptors, both teams went 4-0 in the cup standings. This wasn’t just another all-around showing from the Knicks, but another win on the books, increasing their record to 12-6 and the fourth seed in the East. 

The team’s next matchup is on Sunday evening against the Raptors at MSG.