Buck That! Why Milwaukee Stands as Knicks' 'Nightmare' Playoff Matchup

The Milwaukee Bucks have hit their stride at the right time, and their championship pedigree forecasts major problems for the New York Knicks should they meet in the postseason.

The New York Knicks hold a 39-28 record as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, having defeated some big names across the conference over a recently-severed nine-game winning streak.

Nonetheless, Bleacher Report, offering each NBA contender its toughest or "nightmare" playoff matchup, claims that the Milwaukee Bucks pose the most legitimate threat to New York's NBA Finals aspirations. 

B/R assessed the factors that may give the Bucks a rock-solid advantage over the Knicks in a potential clash, saying:

"Similar to the Cleveland Cavaliers, this is a young-ish Knicks team that doesn't possess a ton of postseason experience together, something the veteran-led Bucks can take advantage of.

As talented as Julius Randle is offensively, going up against a frontline of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez has proved extremely challenging. Randle is averaging just 19.0 points on 31.7 percent shooting in the season series, including a 2-of-22 record (9.1 percent) from three.

Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett can't take down the Bucks by themselves, especially with Jrue Holiday taking turns locking up one or the other. Randle would need a huge series to have a chance to get past Milwaukee, something he hasn't looked capable of doing."

The Bucks and Knicks faced off three times this season, with Milwaukee sweeping the trio that ended on Jan. 9. 

New York last made the playoffs in 2021, falling to the Atlanta Hawks four games to one. At that time, then-Hawks coach Nate McMillan exploited Knicks stars Randle and Barrett. Randle averaged a double-double with 18.0 points and 11.6 rebounds but earned his points on a putrid 29.8 percent success rate from the floor. Barrett was no better, as his 7.2 rebounds per game were countered by shooting 38.8 percent from the field. His triples were no better, hitting just under 29 percent.

The Hawks took away both players' dominant left hands, and put their postseason inexperience at the forefront. With more years under their belts, coupled with the welcomed addition of point guard Brunson, the Knicks are looking to erase their previous playoff woes.

As Greg Swartz of B/R noted, however, the Bucks have the keys to impede the Knicks' assault. Milwaukee (47-18) recently moved into first place in the Eastern Conference with a 16-game winning streak. The Bucks are second in the league in defensive rating (109.7), earning that number behind the work of Defensive Player of the Year candidate Brook Lopez. Two years removed from an NBA title, Milwaukee's roster boasts three former All-Defensive team honorees in Lopez, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jrue Holiday. 

On offense, Khris Middleton is developing a rhythm: in his first start since December, the veteran earned a season-high 24 points to go with 11 assists in a win over Orlando on Tuesday night.

Helping the Knicks' case is the fact that they allow the fewest points in the paint in the Association, conceding only 45.3 points per game down low. Interior defender Mitchell Robinson faces a formidable challenge in Antetokounmpo, who ranks second in the league in paint points at 18.2 per game.

The former two-time MVP also makes defenses pay when they contest at or around the rim, leading the league with 12.7 free-throw attempts a night. New York's rate of 20.7 fouls per game is tied for the seventh-worst this season and could stifle their chances of securing their first series victory since 2013. 

As it stands, the Knicks and Bucks would play each other in a second-round series if each took their opening round on the current playoff bracket. The Knicks would take on the fourth-ranked Cleveland Cavaliers if the season ended today while the Bucks would battle a Play-In Tournament winner. 

There are some ways to go before the bracket solidifies, of course. The Knicks, for instance, tip off a four-game road trip against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night (10 p.m. ET, TNT). 

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