Knicks Earn Much-Needed Win Over Bucks to Tip Off Christmas

Jalen Brunson proved he is everything New York needs to compete with the best, while Milwaukee’s defense continues to drag down its 2023 star power.

Three thoughts on the New York Knicks’ 129–122 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas Day …

1. The Knicks were desperate for this win. Entering Christmas, the Knicks were winless in all of their matchups vs. the Bucks and Boston Celtics this season, the two teams many consider to be the class of the Eastern Conference. For a New York team that hasn’t been able to break through the glass ceiling of the second round in recent years, Monday’s win doesn’t assure any future success, but it has to be a confidence boost. Not only did the Knicks win, but they also did so with a balanced effort. Jalen Brunson will rightfully earn headlines for his 38-point performance. Don’t forget about Julius Randle’s 24 points, RJ Barrett’s 21 and Immanuel Quickley’s 20, though. The strength of the Knicks is their depth. When everyone is able to contribute against the best teams in the league, New York can compete with anyone.

Lillard scored 32 points for the Bucks on Monday :: Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports

2. The Bucks couldn’t defend well enough. Milwaukee’s defense has been perhaps its most critical component to begin the Damian Lillard-Giannis Antetokounmpo era. The Bucks struggled mightily to start the year, but entered Monday ranked 16th in defensive efficiency, allowing 114.9 points per 100 possessions. That’s not great, but a top-15 mark would be reasonable enough considering the team’s offensive firepower. On Christmas the Bucks were too generous, allowing the Knicks to record an offensive rating of 129.0. New York bullied its way inside to the tune of 72 points in the paint, taking advantage of some weak point-of-attack defense from Milwaukee. I’m willing to cut the Bucks some slack because it was their second straight game against the Knicks, and they’d already beaten them three times this year; it can be hard to keep your foot on the gas in that scenario. Still, it continues to bear watching how Milwaukee’s defense will evolve as the season continues.

3. Jalen Brunson is everything the Knicks need him to be. I don’t know if Brunson can be the best player on a championship team. The truth is very few players are able to meet that incredibly lofty standard. But whether Brunson gets there or not shouldn’t affect how much he is appreciated. He’s one of the toughest players in the game, throwing that battering ram of a shoulder into bigger bodies time and time again to create space for himself. On Monday, he was the best player on the floor in a game that included two top-75 players of all time (Lillard and Antetokounmpo). The fact that Brunson is capable of these performances on big stages over and over again is a massive win for the Knicks. Do they have a ways to go for a title? Sure, but so do most teams in the league without a generational talent. For now, Brunson has been the catalyst for a period of respectability that’s eluded New York for much of this century.