Christmas Day in the NBA is here. The league's Dec. 25 festivities are always big, and this year is no different. Leading off things is the Milwaukee Bucks facing off against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden. This is the first time the Bucks have played on Christmas since all the way back in 1977. There is a bit of history between these two sides. For one, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has had a number of superstar moments at MSG, hitting a game-winning shot there in 2017, and jumping over Tim Hardaway Jr. for a dunk last season.
While the Bucks were expected to be the far superior team, the Knicks certainly gave them a fight in the first half despite struggling out of the gate. After falling behind 10-2 in the opening minutes, the Knicks ended up outscoring the Bucks 24-22 in the opening quarter. Giannis led the way with a game-high 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting while also securing a game-high nine rebounds in the first half. The Knicks have been very balanced with three starters in double figures in Tim Hardaway Jr. (12 points), Kevin Knox (11) and Enes Kanter (10). The Bucks hold a 48-46 lead over the Knicks at halftime in a game that both teams have been held to well under 40 percent shooting.
Milwaukee currently holds the second seed, and, entering Christmas Day, trails the trail the Toronto Raptors by just 1.5 games for the best record in the East, and in the NBA as a whole. Meanwhile, New York is attempting to halt its four-game losing streak against Milwaukee. The Knicks have dropped nine of their last 10 games, which includes a 114-107 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
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Bucks at Knicks storylines:
Bucks: This has been one of the best starts to a season in Bucks history. With a revitalized offensive attack, and tremendous play from their do-it-all superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks are 22-10, just 1.5 games out of first place in the East. But because they play in Milwaukee, the casual NBA fans might not know a whole lot about this team. This Christmas Day showcase will be a good chance for the Bucks to prove they're one of the league's elite teams this season.
Knicks: New York out the season 1-5, and things haven't gotten much better. They've won just twice in December, and are 2-11 in their last 13 games. Though, coincidentally, one of those wins was over the Bucks at home, so perhaps they have a better chance than people think in this game. On a more serious note, one bright spot for the Knicks has been the strong play of Emmanuel Mudiay, who has three 30-point outings in his last five games. It will be very interesting to see if this is more than just a flash in the pan.
Game prediction, pick:
The Bucks are quite clearly the better team here, and the only question is whether or not they'll cover the 10-point spread. And on that note, it seems likely they will. Not only will Giannis be out for revenge on Hezonja and the Knicks, but the Bucks are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Heat.
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