Giannis Antetokounmpo Completely Beats Karl-Anthony Towns as Knicks Beat Bucks

MILWAUKEE – In contrast to the Knicks’ loss Tuesday night, Giannis Antetokounmpo played like a superstar and Karl-Anthony Towns played like he didn’t belong on the same court.

Towns continued his miserable start to the season with just eight points on 2-of-12 shooting in 35 minutes, a statistic that condemned the Knicks to a 121-111 loss at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Antetokounmpo, the big trade target if he ever leaves Milwaukee, dropped a game-high 35 points on an efficient 16-for-22 from the field.

What a difference between centres.

If the Knicks ever want the Bucks to take back KAT in a trade for Antetokounmpo, they better hope Tuesday’s tape isn’t pending. It was ugly for Towns, who scored three goals with just one assist and looked lost in the new attack under Mike Brown.

Despite Towns’ struggles, the Knicks (2-2), losers of two straight games, kept the game close before the offense died for good midway through the fourth quarter. That was also the moment when a worst-case scenario seemed like a possibility, as Jalen Brunson ended up in pain after appearing to hurt his groin.

It looked painful and potentially devastating to the Knicks’ early season plans, but Brunson returned after the timeout. However, he limped through the final six minutes and the Knicks were defeated by ten points in that time.

Brunson (36 points) and Mikal Bridges (24 points) were the Knicks’ only offensive weapons, especially with Towns in a slump.

Two nights earlier they had suffered their first loss of the season, a brickfest in Miami that seemed to continue as the Knicks started from deep 1-for-10.

But they improved efficiency dramatically in the second quarter – going 8-for-10 in those 12 minutes – and took a 12-point lead into the break.

“It’ll be interesting,” Brown said of rebounding from Sunday’s loss to the Heat. “We’re on a road trip. We’re missing some guys, we’re figuring some things out. Miami is a good team. It’ll be a great test for us to see what we do tonight. I like the group. I think they’re strong-willed. It’ll be great to see how we handle that loss.”

“But real adversity, you know it when it comes. It’s three or four losses in a row. Then it’s looking at what we have, seeing what we’re made of. Are we still going to believe in each other and in the process? Or is one guy going this way and the other guy going that way?”

The Knicks responded well at times. And other times? Not so much.

The third quarter was an offensive setback and Towns became the main reason.

The center, who has struggled all season, was force-fed while Brunson went to the bench and posted the following stats in the third quarter: two points, 1-for-9 shooting, two turnovers, three fouls, minus-14.

A wreck.

The Knicks again played without Miles McBride, who missed his second straight game for personal reasons. Guerschon Yabusele was also unavailable due to a sprained knee suffered in Miami.

Brown used a new starting lineup, with Landry Shamet on the wing. He played well with 16 points in 40 minutes. Bucks coach Doc Rivers, whose team went 0-3 against the Knicks last season, said he game-planned against the 3-pointer.

“Well, they’re trying to play faster and I don’t know if they’re necessarily playing faster, but they’re trying to get up more threes and they’re doing that,” Rivers said. “And so we want to try to get them off that line.”

Rivers also believes these Bucks — who traded Damian Lillard and Brook Lopez to get younger and faster — are better equipped to take on the Knicks.

“I just think we’re more athletic,” Rivers said. “I think we can guard better, we can switch in different places.”

The Bucks also still have Antetokounmpo, the conference’s best player, who entered Tuesday averaging 36 points.

“Yeah, man, he’s a monster,” Brown said. “He just makes sure everyone pays attention to him all the time. And you can’t just do that with one guy. As talented as he is, it’s literally five guys who have to guard the basketball. That goes for him more than anyone else, just because he’s so tall, smart and strong. He can end up in traffic. So you have to show him his bodies early.”