Jalen Brunson had trouble explaining just why he’s always so productive against the Milwaukee Bucks.
It’s about the only time the New York Knicks guard struggled Sunday on a night when he flustered the Bucks once again.
Brunson scored 43 points and the Knicks surged in the second half to win 122-109 and hand the Bucks their fourth consecutive loss. Brunson is averaging 37.2 points in five games against the Bucks this season.
“I don’t know,” Brunson said. “The ball goes through the hoop against them. I’m averaging 37, but we’re 2-3 (against the Bucks). Before tonight, we were 1-3. So no matter what the points was, we weren’t getting wins. Obviously tonight we found a way to win the game. Their game plan was working for the first three of four games.”
Brunson’s ninth 40-point game of the season put him in sole possession of third place on the Knicks’ single-season list. Bernard King had a team-record 13 games with 40 or more in 1984-85.
People are also reading…
The Bucks are facing their longest losing streak of the season and also have dropped six of their last seven. Milwaukee is a game ahead of the Knicks and Orlando Magic in the race for the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 playoff seed behind the Boston Celtics.
At least this loss came to a team with a winning record. The Bucks’ current slide started with losses to the Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors, who are all well below .500.
“This team is too talented, in my opinion, to go through this,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “No matter who’s been in and out, every team has guys out. And so I’ve got to figure that out.”
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo had 28 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in his return to action after missing the Bucks’ 117-111 loss to the Raptors on Friday due to an issue with his left hamstring. This marked just the fourth time in the last 29 games that the Bucks’ top three players — Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton — were all available.
But they wouldn’t all make it to the end of the game. Middleton got hit in the face midway through the second quarter and didn’t play the rest of the night.
Middleton fell to the floor after New York’s Donte DiVincenzo inadvertently hit him in the face. As Middleton was lying on his stomach, Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein fell after hitting a shot and landed on the Bucks forward’s back.
The three-time All-Star headed to the locker room with blood coming from his mouth. Rivers said Middleton got a tooth knocked out and was visiting a dentist after the game.
“You just feel bad for him,” Rivers said. “The guy can’t catch a break.”
Without Middleton on the floor, Brunson and the Knicks rallied. He also had eight assists and six rebounds.
DiVincenzo scored 26 points and Hartenstein added 18 points and 10 rebounds. Josh Hart had seven points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
Bobby Portis scored 24 points and Lillard had 23 for the Bucks.
After trailing 61-50 at halftime, the Knicks surged in front by outscoring the Bucks 20-6 over the first six minutes of the third quarter.
DiVincenzo hit two free throws with 6:58 left in the third to put the Knicks ahead for the first time since they had a 6-5 advantage less than four minutes into the game.
The Knicks wouldn’t trail again.
Up next
The Bucks next host the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
5 greatest Milwaukee Bucks seasons of all time
5 greatest Milwaukee Bucks seasons of all time
As the regular season nears its conclusion, the Milwaukee Bucks are in prime position atop the Eastern Conference.
With the league’s best record, the Bucks recently became the first team in the NBA to clinch a playoff berth. Anchored by MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo and All-Star Jrue Holiday, the Bucks have won 21 of their last 23 games prior to March 16.
They were the first team to 50 wins this season and are among the best teams offensively and defensively, and in rebounding. The team has potential to win its third championship in franchise history and make a return to the NBA Finals for the first time since winning in 2021.
Here are the five best Bucks seasons of all time.
66-16, NBA champions 1970-71
The dynamic duo of center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) and guard Oscar Robertson guided the Bucks to the franchise’s first NBA title in the team’s third season.
Larry Costello coached the Bucks to a franchise-record 66 victories as Abdul-Jabbar won the MVP in his second season. Abdul-Jabbar averaged 31.7 points and 16.0 rebounds. While blocks weren’t an official stat yet, Abdul-Jabbar was adept at patrolling the paint as the focal point of the defense.
The 32-year-old Robertson was acquired in the offseason from the Cincinnati Royals and immediately added superb versatility to the lineup. Robertson was the ideal complement to Abdul-Jabbar and averaged 19.4 points, 8.2 assists and 5.7 rebounds.
Meanwhile, the contributions of small forward Bob Dandridge shouldn’t be forgotten. The 23-year-old Dandridge was a vital third cog, averaging 18.4 and 8.0 rebounds.
The Bucks reeled off a then-record 20 consecutive victories in the regular season. They were dominant on both ends of the court and led the league in points (118.4) and offensive rating (103.9). The Bucks were tops in defensive rating (93.1) and held opponents to 106.2 points (third fewest).
The Bucks blitzed through the postseason with a 12-2 mark as they beat the Warriors and Lakers in five games, followed by a sweep vs. the Washington Bullets. Abdul-Jabbar was selected as Finals MVP when he averaged 27.0 points and 18.5 rebounds.
46-26, NBA champions 2020-21
Capped off by a historic 50-point performance by Antetokounmpo, the Bucks won the franchise’s first NBA title in 50 years.
Antetokounmpo amassed 50 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks in Game 6 as the Bucks completed a comeback from down two games in the NBA Finals to defeat the Phoenix Suns. Antetokounmpo averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.8 blocks to secure Finals MVP.
Shooting guard Khris Middleton was masterful vs. the Suns with 24.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists. Holiday also rose to the occasion with 16.7 points, 9.3 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals.
The championship was even sweeter for the Bucks when considering the postseason regression during the previous two seasons and rumors of coach Mike Budenholzer being on the hot seat.
Antetokounmpo won back-to-back MVPs as the Bucks won 116 games over those two seasons. However, the Bucks lost to the Toronto Raptors in six games in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals and then fell to the Miami Heat in five games in the semifinals during the bubble playoffs in 2020.
With a 46-26 record but on a mission this time around, the Bucks swept the Heat in the first round, edged the Brooklyn Nets in seven games in the second round, and beat the Atlanta Hawks in six games in the Eastern Conference.
It appeared the dream season wouldn’t have a happy ending when the Suns took the 2-0 series lead. Yet, Antetokounmpo cemented himself as one of the greatest players of his generation and the Bucks finally fulfilled their potential.
59-23, NBA Finals, 1973-74
This was Abdul-Jabbar’s penultimate season with the Bucks and the franchise’s last NBA Finals appearance before a 47-year drought. Despite a memorable game-winning hook shot by Abdul-Jabbar in Game 6, the Bucks lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games.
He drained the classic shot with 3 seconds remaining in double overtime to propel the Bucks to a 102-101 road victory in one of the most exciting games in NBA history. Abdul-Jabbar led all players in the Finals with 32.6 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
In the Western Conference playoffs, the Bucks beat the Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the semifinals and then swept the Chicago Bulls in the conference finals after a 59-23 season and Midwestern Division championship.
It was another stellar season for Abdul-Jabbar with averages of 27.0 points, 14.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 3.5 blocks. With the 35-year-old Robertson on the decline, Dandridge stepped up as the running mate for Abdul-Jabbar with 18.9 points and 6.7 rebounds.
57-25, Eastern Conference Finals, 1985-86
When the Bucks transitioned into the Eastern Conference beginning in 1980-81, it signaled a new era for the franchise.
Abdul-Jabbar remained in the West as a member of the Showtime Lakers, winning five more championships alongside point guard Magic Johnson. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics were the cream of the crop in the East as forward Larry Bird spearheaded three titles for the iconic franchise.
However, coach Don Nelson’s frisky Bucks were a viable Eastern Conference contender during the decade. The Bucks became the first team to sweep the Celtics when they won all four games in the semifinals in 1982-83.
Shooting guard Sidney Moncrief fueled the Bucks to seven consecutive seasons with at least 50 victories, including a 60-win campaign in 1980-81.
During the 1985-86 season, the Bucks were 57-25 to win the Central Division for the sixth year in a row. The Bucks’ offense finished fourth in offensive rating (111.4) and fifth in points (114.5). Defensively, the Bucks were second in the league in defensive rating (102.7) and fifth in points (105.5).
The 28-year-old Moncrief averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 assists and 1.4 steals. Moncrief was flanked by 27-year-old swingman Paul Pressey (14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 2.1 steals) and 24-year-old forward Terry Cummings (19.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals).
The Bucks swept the Nets in three games in the first round. Then the Bucks got revenge on Moses Malone and the Philadelphia 76ers, who swept them in the second round the previous season. The Bucks outlasted the 76ers in seven games in the second round as the Celtics awaited in the conference finals.
Moncrief battled a foot injury during the postseason that began vs. the Nets and resulted in him missing games and not being 100%.
To make matters even more challenging, the Bucks collided with not just one of the best Celtics squads ever, but one of the greatest in league history. The iconic frontcourt trio of Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish added former Finals MVP Bill Walton into the fold and rattled off 67 victories in the regular season.
The Celtics swept the Bucks and knocked off the Rockets in six in the Finals.
60-22 Eastern Conference Finals, 2018-19
It didn’t result in a championship but the 2018-19 campaign set the foundation for the return to annual contention for the Bucks during Budenholzer’s first season at the helm.
The spry 24-year-old Antetokounmpo came of age to capture his first MVP and lead the Bucks to a 61-21 record, the best in the East. Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.
Middleton (18.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.3 apg), Eric Bledsoe (15.9 ppg, 5.5 apg, 1.5 spg), and Malcolm Brogdon (15.6 pppg), as well as center Brook Lopez (12.5 ppg, 2.2 bpg) provided a strong supporting cast for Antetokounmpo.
With the Greek Freak unleashed, the Bucks played at the second-fastest pace in the league (103.3) and led the league in points (118.1). They were also stout defensively and ranked first in defensive rating (105.2).
In the playoffs, the Bucks dominated the first two rounds with a sweep vs. the Detroit Pistons followed by beating the Celtics in five games in the semifinals. Yet, the season came to an end in the conference finals in six games to the eventual champion Toronto Raptors.
Despite the disappointing playoff ending, this was the fifth 60-win season in Bucks history. Budenholzer was selected as the coach of the year and Jon Horst was named executive of the year.