Knicks 136, Bucks 134: After not sealing the deal, Milwaukee wilts under three-point barrage
NEW YORK – The Milwaukee Bucks never closed the door on the New York Knicks on Saturday, and led by Emmanuel Mudiay the Knicks ultimately pushed their way through.
After the Bucks led by as many as 16 points, including by 13 with under six minutes to go, Mudiay had nine points in the final 3 minutes 2 seconds of regulation, including the game-tying three-pointer with 24.1 seconds left. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo then air-balled a step-back jumper, sending the contest to overtime.
In the extra period, the Bucks ran cold at the wrong time. They missed their final five shots, not including Brook Lopez coming up empty on a trip to the free-throw line with the Bucks down by two with 1.2 seconds left that sent the Bucks to a 136-134 loss at Madison Square Garden.
"It’s frustrating and disappointing because I feel like that one’s definitely on us," Lopez said. "We feel like that’s one we should have had and we kind of gave away. No discredit to them or anything like that, but it’s a tough one for us.”
BOX SCORE:Knicks 136, Bucks 134 (overtime)
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While the Bucks were struggling to keep their offense flowing, New York's shooting eventually overwhelmed Milwaukee. Mudiay, who had 28 points, connected on a pair of three-pointers early in overtime. Damyean Dotson, who was 5 of 5 from long range, put the Knicks ahead for good with just over a minute left with a trey.
On the night, the Knicks made 20 of their 34 three-point attempts, including 6 of 11 in the fourth quarter and overtime.
“We got up a couple different times, didn’t have the focus or the determination to take it to the next level," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "Go down to the wire against a team that’s shooting it the way they did tonight, anything can happen. Credit to them. We’ve got to be a lot better.”
Antetokounmpo had 33 points, 19 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and six turnovers, battling wave after wave of Knicks big men -– not to mention guard Mario Hezonja, who in the first quarter purposely and disrespectfully stepped over Antetokounmpo after a dunk. Antetokounmpo tried to get to his spots inside the paint but was dogged every step of the way, ultimately going 13 of 16 from the free-throw line as he muscled around the paint.
At the end of regulation, though, Dotson stood in Antetokounmpo's way, getting him to try a tough, step-back jumper that never hit the rim on the way to bouncing off the backboard.
"He bailed me out," Dotson told reporters after the game. "He shot a fadeaway on a 6-6 (guy)... so that’s to my advantage. Saved me. Not that I can’t get a stop. I feel like he could’ve got a better shot."
Bucks point guard Eric Bledsoe, who started the night 9 of 10 from the floor and had 27 points, ran into a cold spell at an inopportune time. He missed a floater and had a 12-footer bounce around the rim and out in the final minutes of regulation. In overtime, he hit a layup and three-pointer in quick succession, tying the game with each shot with about 2 1/2 minutes left.
But after being steady in the clutch most of the early season, he couldn't get shots to fall after that. He missed a good-look three-pointer that would have put the Bucks up five. Then he missed another, got a rebound and couldn't connect on a layup. With 9.7 seconds left and the Bucks down by two, he bobbled the ball on a drive and lost it before Antetokounmpo forced the jump ball that preceded the missed free throws by Lopez.
And where was Bucks wing Khris Middleton for all of this? The team's second-leading scorer who made the game-winning triple Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls watched the fourth quarter and overtime from the sideline after being benched by Budenholzer.
“Plain and simple just got benched today," Middleton said. "Wasn’t playing well. Thought I was hurting the team more than I helped, so he decided not to play me. ...
“Probably a missed defensive assignment, there was one loose ball I didn’t get, but it’s probably just stuff like that. Part of it – not part of it – that’s on me to get those and play hard and do the right things out there.”
With Middleton relegated to the end of the bench and Lopez in foul trouble, Budenholzer stuck with a lineup of Bledsoe, Antetokounmpo, Malcolm Brogdon, Sterling Brown and Pat Connaughton. Forward Ersan Ilyasova was not available after suffering a mild concussion on the final play of Wednesday's win.
That group gave the Bucks chances to win, but with the game going the way it did Middleton said he felt like he let the team down by not earning the right to stay on the court down the stretch.
“We’ve got to, as a team, pick him up," Antetokounmpo said. "He wasn’t – how can I explain – he wasn’t Khris tonight. But we know he’s one of our leaders, we believe in him and know he’s going to bring it next game.”
The result was a loss that left everyone on the team agitated. It was a loss where the blame didn't fall on one person; rather, everyone played a role – or not enough of one – in falling short of their own expectations.
Antetokounmpo had plays he wanted back. So, too, did Bledsoe. Middleton regretted his inability to make an impact. Lopez certainly would like to try those crucial free throws again. Brogdon was 9 of 12 for 22 points, but the Bucks were minus-26 with him on the court. Connaughton didn't make any of his five shots. Tony Snell was 2 of 9 on three-pointers.
The list goes on.
Now the Bucks, through a rare fluke of the schedule, have three days off to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it.
"I think we can get a lot better," Antetokounmpo said. "We've lost a lot of games, close games, and we haven't had a chance to execute as well as we want at the end of games. I feel like if we can improve that, try to keep our leads when we have leads ... I think we're going to be great."