A dominant win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night at the Garden pulled the Knicks back to .500 eight games into the season. It also showcased some solid play from their newest star, center Karl-Anthony Towns.
Towns had another scoring showdown that started from the get-go. He scored the Knicks’ first six points with two shots behind the three-point line and eventually accumulated 13 points in just the first quarter. Bucks center Brook Lopez struggled to contain Towns, leaving him open in drop coverage to shoot from the perimeter.
Towns is leading the NBA in the most three pointers made by a center thus far with 20. The Knicks center also used his speed many times throughout the game to get past Lopez and score with ease by the rim. By the end of the first half, Towns already had 27 points, leading the way for the Knicks who were up 66-47 at the end of the second quarter.
With a comfortable lead, Towns only played ten minutes in the second half of the game and scored five more points, totaling 32. He also had 11 rebounds and 5 assists in the effort.
Heading into Sunday evening’s showdown with the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, the Knicks were looking for another all-around effort like they enjoyed Friday night.
Guard Mikal Bridges put up 17 points Friday night against the Bucks, while forward OG Anunoby added 14 points with 6 rebounds. Forward Josh Hart scored just 11 points, but he had a notable impact on the game, grabbing nine rebounds and seven assists.
The team announced after the game that Friday night’s effort marked the seventh consecutive game in which all five starters scored in double digits, a franchise record.
Early on in the 2024-25 campaign, the Knicks have faced an uphill battle trying to figure out their offensive scheme with the addition of new players in the lineup this season, but it’s evident there’s a lot of talent on this team. Friday’s performance against Milwaukee seemed to be a sign that coach Tom Thibodeau’s team is starting to gel and could evolve into an offensive juggernaut.
