After the three-quarter mark of the season, a line of demarcation has been drawn between the Milwaukee Bucks and the top three seeds in the Eastern Conference.
Milwaukee’s pas de deux between Antetokounmpo and Lillard hasn’t yielded the ethereal offense they imagined. About a third of the way through the season, they’re currently the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and have yet to earn a win against any of the top teams in the East.
While it’s understandable that they’d struggle hurdling the defending champion Boston Celtics or the ascendent Cleveland Cavaliers, staring up at the New York Knicks all season has been telling. Their two head-to-head matchups this season weren’t even close. On Nov. 8, the Bucks swatted the Bucks away by 22. Two months later, they eviscerated Milwaukee by 34 points.
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The Bucks can give up on catching the Knicks for the No. 3 seed
This week has put the kibosh on the Bucks aspirations to surpass the Knicks in pursuit of the third seed. They put up a valiant fight between the All-Star break and early March winning eight of nine games, but cracks in their foundation formed over the weekend after responding to the Knicks consecutive losses and Jalen Brunson’s ankle injury by losing two straight of their own. Tuesday and Wednesday night’s finale broke the dam.
First, there was Antetokounmpo fouled Tyrese Haliburton as he rose up for a four-point play. The next day, Mikal Bridges called “game” against the Portland Trail Blazers with 33 points, and the game-winning above-the-break triple. He also got away with traveling and illustrated the Knicks' resolve without Brunson in the lineup.
At 36-28, the Bucks are now 5.5 games behind the Knicks with 18 games to go. They’re also stuck in a mosh pit alongside the Detroit Pistons, and the Indiana Pacers in the standings. If the Bucks had finished the job in a two-point loss to Orlando Saturday, lost to the Cavaliers Sunday, and played the final seconds against Indiana more savvily, the Bucks would be 3.5 games back. The lead could have been whittled to 2.5 games, but the Knickspieces have a knack for making winning plays.
In many ways, the Knicks operate as the philosophical counterpart of Milwaukee. While Jalen Brunson is a star analogous to Lillard in his prime, the bulk of the roster is constructed as an inverse to the Bucks equation.
Bucks and Knicks are counter in just about every way
Knicks | Bucks | |
|---|---|---|
Offensive Rating | 5th | 13th |
Defensive Rating | 14th | 10th |
AST% | 27th | 19th |
3-point FG frequency | 27th | 13th |
3-point FG percentage | 5th | 3rd |
Pace | 24th | 9th |
Points in the paint | 5th | 27th |
Opponent Points in the paint | 20th | 7th |
FTA Rate | 23rd | 9th |
EFG% | 4th | 7th |
Opponent EFG% | 24th | 5th |
Opp. TOV% | 15th | 27th |
Milwaukee’s roster is devoid of versatile 3-and-D variants. New York’s ensemble is awash with the likes of Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges performing double duties. All three deliver some degree of floor spacing on the offensive end as well as the flexibility to lock up opposing wings and throw away the key.
However, what the Bucks lack in two-way sharpshooters, they make up for with A-List talent. The Bucks have what the Knicks always wanted in a superstar to helm James Dolan’s mothership. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a top-shelf talent, and arguably the third-best player in the league. If the Bucks don’t get it together this offseason, his passive aggressive comments about joining a big-market team might become more sincere.
Milwaukee's supporting cast and A-list stars aren't producing together
The Bucks offense has failed to rev up to the level demanded of a contender. Ranking 13th in points per 100 possessions doesn’t seem like it should be possible with their top-line stars. It’s their supporting cast that gets screwed the most.
Karl-Anthony Towns’ scoring profile used to more closely resemble Brook Lopez. When Lopez is on the floor with Antetokounmpo, he is typically positioned well outside of the paint. Defensively, Lopez is an obelisk in the paint. At the age of 36, he is still revered and respected for the moat he fills around the restricted area, and his efficiency in drop coverage.
Defensively, Bodega KAT licks his paws as slashers slice into the lane. The defense has been the pride of the Bucks. The same used to be said of New York. However, they have the fifth-best offensive rating and have the worst defense of any 2025 playoff team.
The great thing about the national media celebrating every Knicks win and nitpicking every loss is that it leaves less airtime for the national media to focus on the Bucks’ disappointing season.