The Milwaukee Bucks are set to take on the New York Knicks in the NBA In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals on Tuesday, December 5th. Ahead of the Bucks-Knicks showdown, we'll be making our Bucks In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals bold predictions.
The Bucks went a clean 4-0 in East Group B and tallied the best point differential among East teams to give them the top seed of the conference in the quarterfinals of the In-Season tournament. Interestingly, the Bucks' five-point victory over the Knicks won them the group and gave them the homecourt advantage for this upcoming contest.
Milwaukee just managed to outlast New York in that win and was able to stave off Knicks guard Jalen Brunson's 45-point performance. The Bucks' scorching shooting from beyond the arc — 20-of-39 — helped them earn the victory. Damian Lillard led the way with 30 points, while Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied 22 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.
It has been a month since the Bucks and the Knicks squared off, and both teams have been since terrific basketball since. Milwaukee has won nine of its last 11 games, while New York has lost just three of its last 13 outings. For the most part, this is going to be a battle of offense versus defense. Should the Bucks get past their first test in the Knockout Rounds, either the Boston Celtics or the Indiana Pacers await them in Las Vegas. Nonetheless, here are our Bucks' bold predictions for the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo will get a triple-double
Antetokounmpo has been playing like an MVP since the beginning of the season, but it is just now that he is getting the well-deserved recognition for his MVP worthy campaign. The Greek Freak finally entered the top five of the MVP ladder this week as he continues to lead the Bucks to this torrid stretch. On the season, Antetokounmpo is averaging 29.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 4.9 assists, while shooting over 60 percent from the field.
Antetokounmpo just notched his first triple-double of the season a couple of days ago, when he had 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win over the Atlanta Hawks. He has had a couple of close ones throughout the season, including during their first encounter with New York. With the way he is playing as of late, expect the two-time MVP to tally a triple-double against the Knicks on Tuesday night.
Brook Lopez will block five or more shots
Brook Lopez has been a menace on the defensive end for the Bucks. Milwaukee's issues defensively are well-documented, particularly on the perimeter. Lopez has done a tremendous job holding down the fort in the interior. On the season, the 35-year-old is turning away 2.8 shots per contest. Last month against the Knicks, the recorded a season-high eight blocks. Lopez has had four such games with at least five blocked shots and three contests with four swats. With that said, don't be shocked if he goes on a block party against the Knicks once again.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard go for 30 apiece
It's already bad enough for opposing defenses to deal with Giannis Antetokounmpo going on Greek Freak mode. But it must be an absolute nightmare when they need to deal with a scorching Damian Lillard. Over his last five games, Antetokounmpo is averaging 31.0 points on 62.4 percent field goal shooting. Over the same stretch, Lillard is averaging 27.4 points on 49.4 percent field goal shooting and over 36 percent shooting from long distance. This includes a three-game stretch where both of them dropped 30 points each in three straight games. With that said, expect the Bucks superstar tandem to go off against New York and score 30 points apiece.
Antetokounmpo was held to just 22 points in their first encounter. So expect The Greek Freak to bounce back and play a stronger game against the Knicks. Lillard also recently spoke about the prize pool at the end of the tournament, where each player takes home a sweet half a million. This should give him the motivation to activate Dame Time.
The Bucks win in another thriller
As mentioned, this will be a matchup featuring the fourth-best offense in the NBA (Bucks) versus the third-best defense in the league (Knicks). Given how well both teams are playing as of late, expect more of the same from their first encounter — a barn burner that will come down to the wire. Nonetheless, the Bucks will still come out on top simply because Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo will be too much for New York to overcome.
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