Milwaukee vs. New York: Bucks Eviscerate Knicks, 132-88

So, yeah. Look up the definition of blowout in the dictionary. You’ll find a picture of this game next to it. It doesn’t even really pay to do the typical quarter by quarter rundown I do on these, as it was just pure domination by the Bucks from tip-off to the final whistle. Here’s all you need to know for this one:

At the end of the first quarter, the Bucks led by 18 points.

At the end of the second quarter, the Bucks led by 27 points.

At the end of the third quarter, the Bucks led by 38 points.

At the end of the fourth quarter, the Bucks led by 44 points.

The Knicks are very bad.

Reads like a great children’s book!

Three Observations

It was great to see Khris Middleton back in the starting five.

For the first time since returning from his injury, Khris Middleton was part of the starting lineup. It was delightful to see him pick up right where he’s left off, especially with how well he’s looked in the action he’s been a part of so far. In just under 18 minutes played, he’d register 16 points on a crafty 7-of-10 shooting. One of those seven made field goals? This dunk:

This squad is so fun. Right when we walked into the locker room, Giannis was on the ground doing stretches and was losing at that video. It just epitomizes how close these guys are. As for the man himself, Khris Middleton? Here’s what he had to say on that dunk:

“One day I might break out the windmill for them, but it’s just fun, we’re all having fun with each other. Donte got a dunk, George [Hill] got a dunk, I thought Pat [Connaughton] was going to get a dunk but he ended laying it up. As long as it goes in, that’s two points and we’re all good with it.”

Oh, if Khris actually busted that windmill out...

How about DJ Wilson with a career-high 19 points?!

Using the most of his opportunity, DJ Wilson came out and performed at a very high level, putting forth a career-high 19 points on a nifty 8-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Every time he speaks to us, DJ mentions how crucial is day-to-day mindset of always being ready is so vital to not just him being successful, but all of his teammates as well:

(On his daily approach of staying ready...)
“That is everybody’s approach. Especially, those that come off the bench. Pat, George, Donte, Sterling, that’s everybody’s approach. I feel like if we can have that approach from Giannis to the last guy on the end of the bench, then we can continue to win games like we have been.”

Budenholzer also mentioned DJ’s routines and willingness to always be prepared, and even referred back to Dragan Bender’s performance from Saturday night:

“It’s a credit to DJ to do all of those things, a lot of people might not understand how important they are, and he does them. He’s a very disciplined worker, he has routines, he sticks to them, and then I think you see them pay off when he has a night when he’s 8-for-9 I think, with 19 points. It’s just great, you know, you mentioned Dragan [Bender] the other night and what he’s doing down in the G League and his preparation and his attention to player development and growth. It’s just great for those guys to get opportunities and take advantage of them.”

For the second consecutive game, every Buck that took the floor scored a point.

This is always exciting. It emboldens not just the depth of this roster, but how much fun the guys are having. Everybody seems to get the same amount of juice when their teammates score, whether it be Giannis or whether it be Dragan Bender. From having fun with the dunks to high-fiving one another and laughing in the locker room, this team is extremely close both on and off the court. Postgame, Khris Middleton was asked just how fun winning is. Here’s how he responded:

“Winning makes everything better. You know, as long as we’re playing the right way, we’re playing for each other and we’re also playing defense. I think that’s the main thing, we’re getting stops on the other end, we’re just pushing it, playing for each other. Me and Giannis today were trying to just create, be aggressive, and be a force with our playing and find guys. So far everybody’s been knocking down shots, which makes it easier.”

Bonus Bucks Bits

• With last night’s win, the Bucks extend their season long win-streak to 12 games. This marks their longest winning streak since the 1981-82 season (also 12 games) and is tied for the fifth-longest winning streak in franchise history.
• I still can’t get over this Giannis dunk:

I mean, it looks like it was on a Nerf hoop!

• So during the game, Bango will walk around the lower bowl and randomly fire off a confetti cannon. Every time he does it, I’ve jumped from my seat. If you’ve experienced this, you know exactly what it means. It always catches you off guard.
• After beating the Hornets by 41 points in their last game, the Bucks’ 44-point victory last night marks the first time in franchise history they have won back-to-back games by 40+ points. This is just the fifth time in NBA history that a team has won consecutive games by 40+ points.
• Postgame, Knicks rookie RJ Barrett was asked what it’s like to play against Giannis Antetokounmpo:

“He’s a freak. He’s a freak.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

• In our Brew Hoop Twitter DM’s, our Riley Feldmann posed the question of who gets fired first between David Fizdale and Jim Boylen. I’m leaning towards Fizdale, mainly due to the incompetence of GarPax in Chicago’s front office. What do you all think?

Note: This video is what prompted that discussion:

Yikessssss.

• Last, let’s check in on the New York Knicks’ official Twitter and how they handled the postgame tweet. Time to play a game of Knicks Postgame Tweet Bingo!