Knicks vs. Bucks live score tracker: Updates from NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinal matchup – The Athletic

I have no idea how to analyze this game anymore. The Bucks’ strategy of hitting every 3-pointer they take is working out wonderfully. Milwaukee is now 21 of 33 from deep. It’s 41 of 72 (57 percent) from deep during the two games against the Knicks this season. Milwaukee is now plus-45 from beyond the arc, considering the Knicks have made only six deep balls. You’ll win a lot of games that way.

I’m not sure the Knicks’ Julius Randle-centric offense is conducive to having everybody involved when they need to knock down shots in rhythm, even if he was brilliant in the first half. With the way the Bucks are shooting, maybe it wouldn’t matter anyway.

Malik Beasley has really put together an unbelievable season from behind the 3-point line this year. Coming into tonight’s game, he was hitting a career-high 45 percent of his 3-pointers while attempting 6.5 per game. Tonight, he’s 4 of 7 from deep. His latest triple just gave the Bucks a much needed cushion after the Knicks had clawed their way back into this game early in the fourth quarter.

I’ll put words in the mouths of everyone viewing this page.

We all assumed the Bucks would start missing shots, and that when they did, they would have to find a way to slow down the Knicks. I don’t think any of us considered that they would keep making this many jumpers.

And yet, it’s happening. The Bucks just won the third quarter by 13. They’re shooting 63 percent from the field.

The Knicks have had better nights on defense, no question. But this is also a remarkable offensive performance by Milwaukee.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has, of course, been great all season, but this game feels like the first one in 2023-24 where his gracefulness has popped off the screen. Maybe I’m just not watching the Bucks closely enough every night. But it sure seems like the Bucks have figured out ways to give him the space to show off the athleticism of his younger self.

Khris Middleton throwing this lob to Giannis Antetokounmpo on that sideline out of bounds play is absolute comedy at this point.

It’s not even a play. Just a decade-long connection with a great passer and a great finisher.

Middleton moved Damian Lillard to the nearside corner, then pushed Lopez (and Mitchell Robinson) to the weakside wing. Then, he faked the pass to Lopez, moved the safety and threw the lob.

The Bucks’ mascot just hit an over-the-head halfcourt shot with his back turned to the basket. No one in Milwaukee colors can miss a jumper tonight.

The Knicks are trapping Damian Lillard’s pick-and-rolls, which is not their usual coverage. It makes sense, on some level. But it kind of falls apart when the Bucks make every semi-open 3.

Wild stat from TNT’s Kevin Harlan: this game has combined for the highest field goal percentage of any game this season. The defenses clearly aren’t in In-Season Tournament form. Or maybe the offenses are just too good. (I vote the latter).

Before tonight’s game, I asked Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau to explain what makes Damian Lillard so good at drawing fouls. He told me it all starts with the threat of Lillard’s 3-point shot.

Lillard used that threat to draw six free throws in the second quarter. On top of that, he made all four of his 3-point attempts in the first half. He leads the Bucks with 19 points and four assists at halftime.

The Knicks should just tell Julius Randle before every game that they’ll send him to Vegas if they win. Randle has 25 points, three rebounds and four assists during a perfect first half: 9 of 9 from the field, 1 of 1 from 3 and 6 of 6 from the line.

The Bucks are shooting 64 percent from the field and 69 percent from 3. At some point, that number will start to fall off, and at that point, Milwaukee will have to figure out how to keep Knicks drivers and cutters away from the basket.

Julius Randle is 8 of 8 from the field. When he attacks off the catch, he’s getting to the basket whenever he wants.

The Bucks are often criticized for trying to do too much offensively instead of sticking to the bread-and-butter of keeping the ball in their best player’s hands. But so far, they seem to have kept it simple tonight against the Knicks. The result: they are shredding New York’s pick-and-roll defense so far.