The New York Knicks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 140:106 in the top game of the Eastern Conference – outstanding performance: Jalen Brunson with 44 points. The Nuggets turned a game of runs in Dallas late in their favor and won in Texas 112-101.
After a close initial phase: Knicks give Bucks no chance
The New York Knicks celebrated a commanding 140-106 victory in the top game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Once again, the Knicks were able to rely on the outstanding Jalen Brunson (44 points, 5/10 three pointers) and Karl-Anthony Towns (30 points, 18 rebounds). Giannis Antetokounmpo scored the most for the Bucks with 24 points (13 rebounds).
The first quarter at Madison Square Garden started evenly, while Antetokounmpo had 13 points after twelve minutes, New York’s Brunson immediately scored heavily: he contributed 23 points with 7 out of 11 from the field in the first quarter. 36:33 was the narrow lead for the Knicks before the second quarter. The game remained evenly poised and was respectable in offense, with a slight advantage for New York. The Knicks then opened up their first 13-point lead with around three minutes left in the first half, with Towns and Cameron Payne (18 points) increasingly taking control during this spell. The Knicks’ lead remained in double digits at half-time: After a pull-up shot by Brunson, New York led 75:62 at the break.
Four quick Knicks points after the break prompted Bucks coach Doc Rivers to call his first timeout after just 52 seconds. But it didn’t get any better: again one minute later, Rivers was forced to call another timeout after the Knicks scored another six points. But even that didn’t help: after four minutes in quarter number three, the score was already 92:65. And it remained clear: after three quarters, the Knicks led 108:89. The hosts extended their already large lead even further in the final period, sending the Bucks home with a 140:106 defeat.
Game of Runs: Nuggets take victory from Dallas
The spectators in Dallas saw an even game that was characterized by runs again and again. In the end, the Denver Nuggets were able to prevail with 112:101. In addition to Nikola Jokic, who narrowly missed a triple-double with 19 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists, former MVP Russell Westbrook (21 points, ten rebounds, seven assists) also impressed for the Nuggets. However, Dallas’ Klay Thompson was the top scorer of the game with 25 points (6/13 threes), Maxi Kleber contributed six points.
Even without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the Mavs got off to the better start against the Nuggets and led 25:9 after eight minutes of play. The lead remained in that range until the end of the quarter, with the Texans leading 32:17 at the end of 12 minutes. The Nuggets came out of the first quarter better – but still didn’t score from outside (4/14 before the break), while the Mavs (10/15) stayed hot. So Denver’s deficit initially remained in double digits, but with around two minutes left in the period the Nuggets closed the gap to five (56:61) after a bucket from outside by Michael Porter Jr. and a lay-up by Westbrook. Two free throws from Porter then cut the deficit to 58:61 at half-time. Mike Malone’s team scored a whopping 41 points in the second quarter.
The visitors even managed to take the lead after the break, but it didn’t last long. The Mavericks in turn pulled away again with a 15:0 run and led by 19 midway through the third quarter after a Thompson three. However, the Nuggets rallied again at the end of the period and were only ten points behind (89:79). The game then became tight again: point by point, Jokic and Co. closed the gap and took the lead again for the first time five minutes before the end (97:96). They did not give it up again, and in the end the Nuggets won 112:101 to claim their third victory in a row.
