Bucks 124, Knicks 113: Khris Middleton comes through when it counts

Matt Velazquez | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Over recent years, the Milwaukee Bucks have had their issues with putting teams away, especially teams they're supposed to beat.

On Monday night, Khris Middleton wasn't about to let the Bucks lose.

With the score tied at 110 with just over three minutes left, the Bucks went to their starting unit to close the game and led by Middleton they did just that, securing a 124-113 win over the New York Knicks with a strong finishing flourish at Fiserv Forum.

“For us to be a good team we’ve got to learn how to close out games like this. We did a great job tonight," Bucks point guard Eric Bledsoe said. “Man, Khris, he’s done that a lot for us in the last year, especially when I got here. To be able to see that is unbelievable.”

Middleton got things going, driving the lane and dropping off a nifty pass to Brook Lopez, who deposited a layup despite being fouled. After a stop at the other end, Middleton got the ball while matched up with Enes Kanter. He backed out, with everyone in the building likely aware of what he was going to do.

Kanter knew it, too, and guarded closely as Middleton went up for a three-pointer. It didn't matter. Middleton caught nothing but net, putting the Bucks up by six and coaxing a Knicks timeout.

BOX SCORE: Bucks 124, Knicks 113

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After a three-pointer from Bledsoe on a nice kick-out pass from Malcolm Brogdon to continue the Bucks' stretch of three-point plays, Middleton put the cherry on top of the win with another trey, bringing him to 30 points while making 7 of 8 three-pointers on the night.

“He’s incredibly efficient," Brogdon said. "That’s one of his biggest strengths, his efficiency. I think you’re going to see a new level from him this year. … He’s going to become one of the best players in the league.”

The victory brought Milwaukee to 3-0 for the first time since 2005.

While the game was close late, it didn't look like it would be that way at halftime after the Bucks broke the game open in the second quarter. Led by Middleton who scored 14 points in that frame, including back-to-back-to-back three-pointers, and Bledsoe who chalked up nine of his 16 points and five of his 13 assists in the second period alone, the Bucks took a 19-point lead into halftime.

But the third quarter brought Milwaukee's high-octane offense to a grinding halt. The Bucks weren't so much shut down by the Knicks as they were let down by their own shooting. They went 7 of 22 from the floor and 1 of 13 on three-pointers, many of those coming on open looks. Meanwhile, the Knicks roared back with a comeback built on going 8 for 9 on midrange shots

The Bucks managed just 17 points in the period and had only a one-point advantage heading into the final period.

“We were doing the right thing," Giannis Antetokounmpo said. "We got 13 shots, just one went in. There’s going to be days like that, there’s going to be days that 10 are going to go in, that seven are going to go in. I feel like the other teams cannot win the game by shooting twos.

"We force them to shoot twos and twos and twos – we’re living. We’re living with that. That’s our game plan. We know that when we come down to the other end it’s always going to be a layup or a dunk or it’s going to be a three. … Statistically, you cannot win the game with two points.”

Antetokounmpo, who had largely been held in check by New York's defense for the first three quarters, broke out in the fourth. He scored Milwaukee's first nine points, attacking the rim and throwing down dunks.

With the last bucket of the night, a dunk through a Tim Hardaway Jr. foul, Antetokounmpo finished with 31 points on 13 of 29 shooting to go with 15 rebounds, with nine of those boards coming on the offensive glass.

But as well as Antetokounmpo played, including scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter, the night didn't belong to him. Rather, it was Middleton, Milwaukee's long-time security blanket, who came up huge throughout the night and especially at crunch time.

"Khris tonight to have the efficiency that he had – 7 threes and 30 points on 14 shots – is very impressive," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "There's so much greatness between both Giannis and Khris, it's great to have them both."

Antetokounmpo has spent his whole career playing alongside Middleton and has seen the way he's grown over the years. In his opinion, there's no reason why Middleton, a dominant force for Milwaukee last year in the playoffs, shouldn't take another step forward – or two – this season in Budenholzer's offense that emphasizes three-pointers.

Already, Milwaukee's 48 three-pointers represent the franchise high for any three-game stretch. Middleton has played a large role in that success, going 15 of 23 (65.2%) from long range.

As a perennial member of lists aggregating the league's most unsung or underrated players, Middleton has picked up where he left off in last year's playoffs, which is bound to turn heads. He recognizes that at some point a slump will come, but for right now he's enjoying the victories and collective good vibes in the locker room, not anything on the outside.

“My team, they mean everything to me," Middleton said. "They gave me that confidence; I have confidence in myself. Whether teams or people or media sleep on me I’m really not worried about that. My teammates know what I bring to the table every night and that’s just competing and trying to win. Doing whatever it takes to win on or off the ball on both sides of the ball.”

TAKEAWAYS

ABSORBING CONTACT: Antetokounmpo was in for a battle Monday night. Through the first three quarters, he was just 7 of 18 from the floor and on a lot of his trips to the paint drew the attention and contact of multiple Knicks defenders intent on shutting him down.

Often, the Knicks opted to put smaller players on him, most commonly Mario Hezonja. Those types of players were aggressive with their hand checks and tried to move their feet to stay in front of Antetokounmpo. That physical defense didn't lead to an excessive number of foul calls, though Antetokounmpo spent a lot of the game playing through contact and fighting for everything he got.

“Just try to maintain my focus and try to make plays," Antetokounmpo said. "I know when I have guys like that I can shoot over them or I can make sure I can find my teammates. I know they’re going to be physical, that’s the only thing they can do. As I said, I’ve got to keep working on my game, try to find my spots and try to make my game easier because if I keep going like that I’ll probably only play two more years and I’ll be done because my back will be hurting.”

DRIBBLE PENETRATION: The Bucks' inability to slow Knicks guard Trey Burke in the third quarter helped New York get back into the game.

The 6-foot-1 guard was playing in the G League last season before signing with the Knicks in January and resurrecting his NBA career. He looked unstoppable in the third quarter, getting into the paint at will and scoring 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting.

Burke finished with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists.

GOING BIG: As he has often this season, often used a jumbo lineup featuring Antetokounmpo, Ersan Ilyasova and either Brook Lopez or John Henson.

Budenholzer likes to use that size and versatility without giving up much shooting to throw curveballs at opposing teams. Ilyasova finished with 10 points in 22 minutes off the bench, Lopez had 13 in 30 minutes and Henson added nine points and nine rebounds in 17 minutes.

Ben Steele of the Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.