Game day preview and injury report: Milwaukee Bucks look to bounce back, visit streaking New York Knicks

The Bucks are starting their road trip in the Big Apple.

Matthew Dugandzic | Jan 9, 2023

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The Milwaukee Bucks (25-14) will try to bounce back from a stinging defeat against the Charlotte Hornets last time out when they take on the streaking New York Knicks (22-18) at Madison Square Garden Monday night.

Game preview

It will be the first contest of a four-game road trip for the Bucks, who were blown out at home by the lowly Charlotte Hornets, 109-138, on Friday night.

A faulty start was to blame in that shocking loss, as the Bucks allowed the Hornets to score a franchise-record 51 points in the first quarter.

The Bucks couldn't recover from a 28-51 deficit at the end of the first period and saw their two-game win streak come to an end.

It was the fifth time this season that the Bucks gave up 130 points. The 29-point loss also marked the fourth time the Bucks lost by at least 20 points this season.

"Defensively, we have not been able to get stops in those games," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said Friday night. "We dug ourselves a big hole in those games. We haven't matched what it takes to be competitive in an NBA game on multiple occasions now and it's concerning."

Milwaukee, which is 9-9 on the road so far, can not afford to give the same effort against a New York team that has won its last four games.

The Bucks are looking to sweep their three-game regular season series with the Knicks. They beat New York in their first meeting on October 29th, 119-108, and followed it up with a 109-103 triumph in their second showdown on December 1st.

A gigantic collision between two big men will highlight the match, with Giannis Antetokounmpo going up against Julius Randle. The two are the leading scorers and rebounders for their respective teams.

Antetokounmpo is good for 32.0 points and 11.8 rebounds a game, while Randle brings in 24.4 points and 10.0 boards per outing for the Knicks, as the battle at the power forward position could prove to be key tonight.

Injury report

Khris Middleton (knee) and Serge Ibaka (personal matter) will be out for the Bucks. Middleton will be missing his 11th straight game.

RJ Barret (finger) is listed as doubtful for the Knicks.

Published Jan 9, 2023

MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.