The New York Knicks entered Tuesday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks as one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. They have done an excellent job of limiting their opponents, but for whatever reason, the Bucks have found a ton of success against them, especially from 3-point range.
Entering the game, the Knicks were holding their opponents to 105.5 points per game, the best mark in the NBA. Their defensive rating was also third-best in the NBA, as they are not an easy team to play against. On top of that, no team had scored more than 120 against them on the season before the onslaught from the Bucks.
Milwaukee blew New York out of the arena in their Knockout Round matchup during the NBA In-Season Tournament, 146-122. The Bucks were on the cusp of history, as a 3-point miss by Robin Lopez with 30 seconds remaining in the game dropped their percentage to 60.5 for the game.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: New York Knicks & Milwaukee Bucks Updates
That was the third-highest 3-point percentage for a team with at least 23 attempts in a game in NBA history. Had Lopez made that shot, or not attempted it, they would have broken the record. Luckily for the Knicks that didn’t happen, as they already have some scoring records that they are attached to and on the wrong side of.
The most memorable one is Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 points against them on March 2nd, 1962. The Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Knicks by 22 points, winning the game 169-147 behind the dominant performance by Chamberlain.
That night is a significant one because the Bucks did something against the Knicks that hasn’t been done to them since that night. On Tuesday night, Milwaukee scored 37, 38, 37 and 24 points in each quarter, respectively.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: New York Knicks & Milwaukee Bucks Updates
That is the first time since the Chamberlain 100-point game that New York has allowed at least 37 points in each of the first three quarters. As shared by Ti Windisch on X, formerly known as Twitter, the stat was shared during the telecast of the game on ESPN.
That is quite an efficient showing by the Bucks, who have one of the most dangerous offenses in the NBA. The duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are still ironing out some kinks, but what they showed on Tuesday could be a preview of things to come in the future when they are clicking on all cylinders.
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