New York Knicks Postgame
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The New York Knicks hung around with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, but were eventually worn down. They were dealt their sixth straight loss.

  • New York Knicks 112 (24-42)
  • Milwaukee Bucks 120 (35-31)
  • NBA, Final, Box Score
  • BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

To put it bluntly, the New York Knicks have been one of the worst teams in basketball since losing Kristaps Porzingis to injury. The Bucks dealt the Knicks their sixth straight loss. They’ve lost 14 of their last 15 games and there was little to get excited about in this one.

They don’t have the firepower to hang with playoff caliber teams. The Bucks took advantage of the Knicks all night and the most telling stat was the disparity in free throws. Giannis Antetokounmpo took more free throws (18) than the entire Knicks team. The Bucks finished the game going 30-for-39 from the charity stripe. Conversely, the Knicks were 11-for-14

The triad of young point guards looked out of sorts. Frank Ntilikina started for the second straight game, but only managed to score two points on four shots. It’s normal for rookies to have growing pains. These types of games shouldn’t cause any real panic for the rookie, but he has a tendency to disappear at times. He needs to get a bit more aggressive. Hopefully, he learns from these types of games on how to assert himself more in games.

Trey Burke was getting into the paint, but struggled to finish once he was inside. He really failed to get going on offense all night. But Burke and Ntilikina’s struggles are something you can live with.

If you take a glance at the box score you may think Emmanuel Mudiay had a great game. He chipped in with 19 points and four assists, but it’s becoming clear why the Knicks were able to acquire him from Denver. He has his moments for sure, but it’s really frustrating to watch him run the offense. It’s not something you can easily quantify, but the Knicks are just a worse team when he’s on the floor.

Although there weren’t many bright spots from this game, Troy Williams was just that. He is making a case for himself with his energy and athleticism off the bench. In 26 minutes of play, he recorded 18 points and five rebounds. He also made sure to provide a few high flying plays for his highlight reel.

If you’re like many Knicks fans, you’ve become accustomed to checking in on the standings to see where the Knicks will be picking come draft time. They currently sit in the ninth spot in the lottery and are 1.5 games ahead of the Bulls.

NY/NJ hoops reporter (NBA/NCAA) & sports betting writer for XL Media. Never had the makings of a varsity athlete.