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Merry Christmas, New York Knicks fans! Santa Claus has brought some presents early this year. Yes, that’s right. For 2023, you get not one, but two consecutive games against the star-studded Milwaukee Bucks.
In a jolly turn of events, the Knicks will engage the Bucks in back-to-back games at Madison Square Garden on Saturday afternoon and again on Monday (Christmas Day at 12 pm EST), which represent their third and fourth matchups with Milwaukee so far this season.
While back-to-back home games are certainly something to celebrate, the idea of playing such a competitive team in consecutive games is enough to make any fan say bah-humbug.
One positive for the Knicks, they are 7-3 at home so far this season. Granted, New York has only hosted teams with winning records (as of Saturday) on five occasions, and they are 2-3 in those matchups. Furthermore, the Knicks are currently 0-2 against the Bucks this season. So, there are a lot of questions to be answered.
The Bucks body of work doesn’t clear up much either. They are exactly .500 on the road thus far, but only 1-3 against winning teams. This back-to-back should go a long way toward identifying if the Knicks can compete with the upper echelon of the NBA and if the Bucks can beat good teams on the road. We should have more clarity on both topics after Christmas, but we could also see a split, which might not answer much for either squad.
Coach Tom Thibodeau told the media before Saturday’s game that Milwaukee’s offense “can be explosive” and that it requires opponents to “be their best at all times.” So, the next two games will ultimately boil down to one incredibly important matchup — can the Knicks struggling defense figure out how to slow down the Bucks flourishing offense?
Currently, Milwaukee is averaging 124.4 points per game (2nd in the NBA), per Basketball Reference. New York is surrendering 111.4 points per game (8th in the NBA), although the Knicks’ defense is doing far worse so far in December.
Which Knicks' defense shows up?
While New York has struggled in December, they looked significantly better in their past two games against the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers. Maybe the arrival of veteran forward/center and Coach Thibodeau favorite Taj Gibson made a difference.
Can Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard set the tone?
The Bucks are 11-3 when Antetokounmpo scores 30 or more and they are 10-0 when Lillard does so. It goes without saying that Antetokounmpo and Lillard are Milwaukee's two most important players. Therefore, getting those guys going early is instrumental for the Bucks success — and preventing them from finding a rhythm is crucial for the Knicks.
Regardless of wins and losses, we'll know a lot more about both teams based on the minutia of the games. How the Knicks and Bucks respond to each other's runs will tell a lot, as will how they execute their offenses, respectively. So, while hosting the Bucks in back-to-back games might seem a lot like getting a lump of coal for Christmas, it could really be a blessing in disguise given how well it will allow New York to understand its strengths and weaknesses.
