Offense finds the Bucks: Bucks 107 – Knicks 80
For once, the Milwaukee Bucks opponents could only sit and watch as one shot after another went in. For once, the Bucks played with confidence on offense. For once, offense wasn’t the primary concern at halftime.
For once, the Bucks got a big win.
Milwaukee’s offense was finally everything the front office dreamed it would be in the first quarter of their 107-80 win over the New York Knicks at home Tuesday night. In that first glorious 12 minutes, the Bucks could not be tamed. Milwaukee shot 15-22 (68.2%) from the field, 3-6 (50%) from 3-point range and 8-10 (80%) from the line.
After building a 22 point first quarter lead, the Bucks needed to do little more than hang on for the rest of the game. And with a defense like the one Milwaukee has, hanging on to a big lead isn’t much of a problem. Before the game, Coach Scott Skiles talked about the importance of keeping the Knicks from establishing tempo.
“What you want to do is limit their 3-point attempts if you can and try to make them shoot a poor percentage on those. You cant get caught up in trying to slow the game down. If team’s are shooting 3-point shots and missing those, those are almost always long rebounds that are coming down in guards or small forwards hands.
In the pros, you got to be able to come down and convert that. That’ll be a big part of the game, can we make them miss some of those perimeter shots and get the rebound and get some perimeter baskets.”
- Limit their 3-point attempts: Coming into Tuesday’s game, the Knicks were shooting 25 3-point shots per game. Tuesday, they shot 19. Even better, they made just five. Check.
- Long rebounds: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (masquerading as a three for some of the night) grabbed six defensive rebounds (eight total). John Salmons had six defensive rebounds (six total) and Brandon Jennings had three defensive rebounds (five total). Check.
- Converting: Off Knicks 14 3-point misses, here’s the Bucks stat line: 2-5 FG, 2-4 FT, six points, eight rebounds and one turnover. Not such a check.
Of course, when a team like the Bucks shoots 51.3%, they can live without piling up the easy points on the break off missed threes.
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