Knicks Post Game Recap: Comeback Falls Short Against Bucks

The Knicks dug themselves an extremely deep hole in the middle quarters, and fell just short of an improbable comeback. The Knicks were down by as many as 26, and got it as close as two in the waning moments of the fourth quarter, but the Bucks were able to make enough timely baskets and hit their free throws down the stretch run of the game to ice it away. The Knicks have to ask themselves what took so long to get at it defensively, but they have to be happy with how they responded once they went down 83-57 midway through the third quarter.

Matchup of the Game Recap:

Nov 18, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; New York Knicks guard Iman Shumpert (21) takes a shot against Milwaukee Bucks guard Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the fourth quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Bucks beat the Knicks 117-113. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Carmelo Anthony and Jabari Parker didn’t matchup against each other as expected, as the Bucks used Giannis Antetokounmpo on Anthony more often than not. Parker though was relatively quiet, especially in the second half, as he scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half. Anthony had another strong game offensively, scoring 24 points on 9-16 from the field with six rebounds and five assists. Anthony went to the locker room in the second quarter to get his knee rewrapped, and he looked to be a little uncomfortable all night after that.

Player of the Game: Iman Shumpert

Shumpert was outstanding once again for the Knicks, as he continues to grow as a player on both ends of the court. Tonight he neared a triple-double, scoring 21 points with eight rebounds and eight assists. He also added three steals, being the first Knick to hit those marks in the same game since David Lee in 2010. He had another highlight play tonight, throwing down a reverse dunk over Antetokounmpo as the Knicks mounted their comeback. He also continued his torrid pace from the perimeter, knocking down 2-4 from deep, which seems to be becoming the norm for Shumpert.

-First Half Struggles

More from Empire Writes Back

• Caesars New York Promo Code: Win $250 Bonus GUARANTEED on ANY Bet!
• Last Chance Caesars Promo: Claim $1,250 Bonus for ANY MLB Bet!
• Caesars New York Promo Code Gives TWO Chances to Win Betting on Your Yankees!
• PointsBet New York Promo: FIVE $100 Bonus Bets to Back the Yankees or Mets!
• Caesars NY Promo: $1,250 Bonus to Celebrate the Return of Judge!

The Knicks couldn’t do much right in the first half, as they allowed the Bucks to ring up a 30-9 run to close the half, giving them a 17-point lead heading into halftime. The same problems kept coming up for the Knicks in the first half, as the Bucks knocked down 7-11 from three-point land. Keep in mind the Bucks were ranked last in the NBA in three-point shooting coming into the game. Khris Middleton and Ersan Ilyasova hurt the Knicks the most from deep, as both players sank three from deep. Ilyasova killed the Knicks all night, scoring 20 points in 20 minutes, making a big shot late in the fourth quarter after pump faking Anthony out of his shoes.

-Second Half Turnaround

The Knicks fell down by as many as 26 in the second half, but they were able to fight back and get within as many as two points in the waning seconds. It wasn’t enough to get the victory, but definitely some good feelings to leave Milwaukee with. In addition to the 24 from Anthony and 21 from Shumpert, Tim Hardaway Jr. chipped in 24 off the bench in 29 minutes. Pablo Prigioni and Amar’e Stoudemire were catalysts in the comeback as well, scoring 11 and 14 points respectively.

The Knicks defense also locked in more in the second half, as the Bucks made only 2-6 from beyond the arc, but a couple of lapses still cost the Knicks.

More from Carmelo Anthony

• New York Knicks: The Underappreciation of Carmelo Anthony
• Phil Jackson Leaves the New York Knicks with Baggage That Is Unknown
• Knicks Rumors: Boston Celtics Becoming More Interested in Carmelo Anthony
• Carmelo Anthony Backed By NBPA After Phil Jackson Comments
• Knicks Rumors: Team Committed To Trading Carmelo Anthony In Summer

-Three-Point Barrage

As mentioned earlier, the Knicks came into the game as the worst team defending the three-point line, and the Bucks came in as the worst three-point shooting team. Something had to give, and that was the Knicks defense. The Bucks shot 9-17 overall from the three-point line, equaling 52.9 percent. The Knicks did continue their torrid shooting pace from the three-point line, as they made 11-24, good for 45.8 percent.

-Paint Play

The Bucks destroyed the Knicks in the paint on both ends of the court. In the game the Bucks outrebounded the Knicks 43-28, and outscored them in the paint 48-32. A big reason for that was Zaza Pachulia, who played 34 minutes after averaging only 18 per game the rest of the season. He did plenty of damage, grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds, seven of which were of the offensive variety.

The Bucks had 17 offensive rebounds on the night, which means they rebounded almost half of their misses. The Bucks missed 35 shots in the whole game,

Nov 18, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova (7) is congratulated by center Zaza Pachulia (27) after a basket in the fourth quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

meaning they had very few empty possessions on the night.

Surprisingly, the Derek Fisher didn’t go to the players who are known to bang and rebound in Quincy Acy and Cole Aldrich. Both registered DNP-Coach’s Decision for the game, instead going with Amar’e Stoudemire and Travis Wear as the bigs off the bench. They got abused routinely defensively and on the boards, and are a big reason the Knicks fell into a big hole they couldn’t climb out of. Jason Smith played only six minutes as well.

The Knicks will be right back at it Wednesday night, as they will be traveling to Minnesota to finish their back-to-back to face the Timberwolves at 8 PM ET at the Target Center.