New York Knicks rout ice cold Milwaukee Bucks 130-110 (Highlights)

One day after a horrible loss, the New York Knicks clicked into gear for a blowout victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

The New York Knicks’ holes at point guard were devastatingly clear in Saturday night’s 109-89 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

One night later, it was the point guard play that helped them the most against the dangerous Milwaukee Bucks. Elfrid Payton, who scored no points against Philadelphia, scored 27 points on 16 shots. He sunk all three of his three-point attempts and added seven assists.

New York also saw another strong night from Alec Burks, who scored 18 points off the bench, including four three-pointers. Julius Randle led the Knicks with 29 points and 14 rebounds.

It was a great shooting night all around, as the team shot an eye-popping 59.3% from three as well as 54.1% from the floor. The Bucks, meanwhile, made just 18.4% of their long-range shots and just couldn’t get going on offense.

Story of the game: Nice win, but let’s be real

First things first, this is not the sign of the New York Knicks turning it around. Nice as this win is, it’s more than likely going to be a bright spot in a losing season.

Even so, that the Knicks were able to turn in such a performance the day after a bad loss is encouraging. Marc Berman of the New York Post reported five players stayed after the game last night to get some work in on the court. Coach Tom Thibodeau hasn’t been on the job long, but it’s clear he’s already established a culture of accountability in New York’s locker room.

Whatever lessons from Saturday’s game were, they sunk in on Sunday. The Bucks were led by reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 27 points and 13 rebounds. Khris Middleton chipped in 22 points of his own. Unfortunately, neither could get Milwaukee’s three-point game going.

New York, however, managed to click on all cylinders early and just ran with it. In what is sure to be a long season, this win will absolutely stand out.

Next, the New York Knicks kick off a four-game road trip when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET

Stat scraps

RJ Barrett bounced back from a horrendous 2-for-15 performance Saturday to score 17 points on 17 shots Sunday.

Former Knick Bobby Portis also made his return to Madison Square Garden and scored 17 points off the bench for Milwaukee.