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2025-26 Game Thread: Knicks @ Bucks

The Knicks head to Milwaukee to take on Giannis and a bunch of flotsam and jetsom, who are somehow 2-1, just like the Knicks. It sure would be nice to beat these guys so badly that Giannis pushes them to trade him to the Knicks, like, next week.

Mitch is still out, and that is SUPER sketchy. Yabu is also out. I imagine his injury status is “Yabu – Out (Fat).”

Let’s go, Knicks!

It’s probably too early to even talk about 58 wins, but, well, I still am! Let’s go, 58 wins!

193 replies on “2025-26 Game Thread: Knicks @ Bucks”

Strat, with current diagnostic tools, “feeling not right” shouldn’t be a thing. Either there’s inflammation or not.

Z-Man

I agree. I didn’t express my view well.

He felt something, they checked it out, saw it wasn’t 100% and decided to back off. But at this point I don’t think it’s serious or he wouldn’t be traveling with the team. If it was the playoffs, he might even be playing. But they view him as critical to our chances to win a title. So they aren’t taking any chances it gets worse and sets him back in a more serious way. As to the long term prognosis, I’m not a doctor and we don’t even know enough about what’s going on to ask AI.

“Shamet starting!!??”
– I’m optimistic!

I like Jamal Crawford as an analyst much than I did as a player!

NBA: Gambling is a problem because “there’s nothing more important to the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition.”

Also NBA: “Here’s our picks for tonight. Here’s two consecutive commercials for draft kings.

2

I may have to pull a Donnie tonight and watch Ohtani instead of the Knicks.

I’m sitting 12 rows behind home plate… but they’ll probably intentionally walk him to lead off the game, making the price of these seats somewhat redundant.

I’m sitting 12 rows behind home plate… but they’ll probably intentionally walk him to lead off the game, making the price of these seats somewhat redundant.

You don’t go to ballgames to see OBP?

2

Should be an interesting game, honestly have no idea what will happen tonight. Would be nice if Deuce were playing.

Everyone was so eager to guess how many games we would win this year… The real thing was how many games will Mitch play?!

very weird situation

1

Well I guess we know who’s the Knick Killer tonight…

That’s how we win. Giannis foul trouble. Do it, KAT!

Looks like its gonna be one of those games where whatever scrub Brunson is covering is going to be burying 3s left and right.

It’s a little surprising Shamet is starting when Hart is available, but I guess Brown wants the shooting more than the rebounds.

Mike brown isn’t only building a brick house here, he’s helping us build a brick HOME.

An actual good move from OG… Guess that’s what’s possible when you’re guarded by Kuzma

Knicks missing wide open 3s, Bucks just forcing up 3s with guys in their faces and burying them.

Bridges outstanding tonight – 8 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists

He’s getting into the paint and making things happen

2

God is testing us with this three point variance but it’ll turn—or already has

5-7 from three in the second quarter and suddenly we have the lead. Surprise.

We beat Boston by scoring 42 in the 2nd quarter. We only need one hot stretch to open up a lead they can’t overcome.

This team is so beautiful to watch when we aren’t inexplicably shooting 10% from 3

Weird to read this thread and see we’re shooing 43% from 3 in the box score.

Now back to Babe Ruth.

Weird to read this thread and see we’re shooing 45% from 3 in the box score.

Missed em all in the first quarter, made em all in the second

We scored 71 points in the half and KAT is 1-1.

And damn, Diawara played 30 seconds and I missed it.

“1 for 10 from 3 in 1st quarter, 8 for 11 in 2nd quarter.”

this cannot be fully true as we are now 9 for 20 point taken though

plus dia finally made an appearance and kolek is 3 (3 pointer) and 2 in 6 minutes

We shot 20 3’s in the first half. That is an ideal #. We also attacked the paint and the rim. More inside-out than last game. Of course, we’re facing Doc and not Spo…

mikals and jalens minutes are just a teensy bit high in this game but if we keep up this lead and dont need them much in the last six minutes it will have been more than worth it and yeah imagine if kat gets on track even just a little bit

My thoughts on 1st half
Bucks seem trash
Giannis is traveling wo restrictions while also dancing in our paint unbothered
We are playing sneakily advanced bball

kings beating thunder cant hold up right jaquez having a great game although it is only against the hornets

I mean seriously WTF do we do during halftime all 4 games this season has been the same shit.

The Greek Freak is freaking impossible to guard once he gets a head of steam into the paint.

Ok which scrub is going off tonight- Ryan Rollins or AJ Green?

I’ll answer my own question- both.

7-7 from three combined

KAT has to learn not to push off. The refs are looking for that forearm and he’s going to get nailed for it every time.

KAT might just need to sit and get his head right for the remainder of the game. He’s been horrible.

isn’t Kat injured and “playing through pain”? not having mitch available makes it worse

Although this is not looking good right now, we’re close

Edit: And we’re ahead 🙂

That’s a month, pulled hammy I think. Could be a knee, but I don’t think so. Bad for us in the short term, but he’ll be back…I think…

Edit: well, not a month. But it doesn’t look like he should be playing.

Yikes! Looks like a pulled hammy. If it is, Brunson will be back after Thanksgiving. Maybe after Christmas.

Since we still own our pick, maybe we should tank this year, how’s the top of the draft look?

Can I adjust my win total prediction down from 51?

Rumor has it Thibs parlayed his salary into the “under”.

We’re not going to win tough road games if KAT plays like Terry Rozier after a call from his bookie.

The key to guarding the Knicks is pretty simple. Play 1 – 1 up high on them and make them try to break you down off the dribble. Other than Brunson they don’t have the athletes that can do that. That can get in the paint and shoot over you.

I can’t wait to hear Brown’s press conference…what’t the over/under on how many time he says something about sprays?

KAT’s defense on that giannis dunk was just unacceptable—instant Thibs timeout material

He didn’t crouch down at all and just let him dunk from a drive at the logo. Probably his worst game as a Knick.

You can’t play Josh hart so many minutes

Makes one shot

Defended by Centers

Did Mike brown watch any film

With Towns MIA, Brunson’s isolations kept us in the game. Would have been a blowout without him. This team looks like a mess for long stretches every game so far, particularly on defense. Offense comes and goes, which is expected, but it is way too often messy, anarchic, unintelligent.

Won’t get into details. I choose to be patient. It’s only four games. We have time before entering the five stages of grief. 😊

I’m beginning to think no sports team from NY will ever win another championship again.

Still can’t believe that Brunson seems to be ok, I guess that’s the good news after that fugly loss

Brunson is ok and that’s what matters most. This is just one game, let’s win the next 4 or 5 and get back on track.

1

Towns 12 shots 8 points

If he is doing that he isn’t providing any value

Especially when is the lone big man starting

Frustrating game to watch. Should be better than this. KAT in an early funk, Mitch MIA, McBride out, Hart not 100%….way too much Shamet and Clarkson for my taste. Just doesn’t look like a cohesive team, outside of a quarter here or there.

Whatever, it’s one week.

Shamet actually hit some shots

He provided more value than Hart for me

Hart gets defended by opposing Centers . His rebounding doesn’t offset it

Shamet and Clarkson combined to score 26 pts on 9 for 18 shooting including 6 for 12 from 3pt.

1

It is not just bc of this game. But I don’t think KAT is a championship level player. He continues to commit silly fouls almost every single game. He doesn’t utilize his height effectively. He plays small inside. Brings the ball down and hunches over. Doesn’t play even remotely solid defense. Drives wildly to the basket and flings the ball up. And falls to the ground constantly which leaves the team down a guy in the fast break. I don’t enjoy watching him. Even when he has his scoring going. This is secound guessing but that JR and Divo trade for him wasn’t good.

Also I don’t think the Knicks should be launching all these 3’s. Not sure we have the team for this.

Will Mike Brown be like the Don Nelson hire?

Also I don’t think the Knicks should be launching all these 3’s. Not sure we have the team for this.

Maybe they should take less, but they have to get up threes at a good rate

We went from shooting 10% from three after the first quarter to shooting 45% at the half to ending at 32%. That’s some messed-up variance. Doesn’t help that KAT played like my sister. When she was seven. I kept expecting him to come down the floor dribbling with both hands.

Normally I’d think these last two games were irrelevant in part because we have key players like Mitch and Deuce not playing, Towns and Hart are playing at less than 100% and we are doing new things. It will take time. However, I think we may have another issue that to my knowledge hasn’t been discussed yet. This team was built for Thibs, not to run and stress 3s. We already had a couple of issues with fit with Thibs, but between taking a small step backwards defensively and potentially trying to fit a square peg into a round hole on offense now, I’m not sure this going to work. It’s not necessarily Brown’s fault. He inherited this team. Let’s see what happens over the next 15 games, but it’s worth at least considering that we may need to make a couple of moves to fit what Brown wants to do.

Strat outside of Brunson not being nearly as quick as Fox, the rest of the roster he had with the Kings is kind of close . Cam Payne would lowkey be decent as a running PG

The shooting isn’t a big deal; the defense is crap without Mitch (and Huk to a lesser extent). Brown is learning that the hard way. Your 5-out dreams are just that, Mikey: dreams.

Shame the Yankees didn’t face this version of the Dodgers pen. Treinen is so bad now!

I only watched about 10 minutes of this because there was a more compelling sports option on the teevee, but in the minutes I did watch it pretty much looked like KAT was going to drop dead. He’s just all slow, labored movements out there. With Mitch out, KAT looking like a mummy, Josh Hart looking compromised, and Deuce being out for whatever reason, we don’t have a whole lot of horses. This was an unathletic team to begin with, and when you factor in the injuries… I mean they honestly look like an old team right now even though they’re not.

Cap and Mikal are playing pretty good, but that’s about it.

It’d be funny if they brought in a new coach to appease Mikal, and then everyone else got worse.

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They had Giannis and Turner protecting the rim and we had KAT and whoever. Sorta the story of the game.

They had Giannis and Turner protecting the rim and we had KAT and whoever. Sorta the story of the game.

KAT was protecting the rim?

Didn’t see the game bc I wasted my time watching that Ohtani bum suck at both pitching and hitting… but I’m sticking with my thesis: Deuce matters.

Seems like we have a real Center problem. KAT looks like he needs to heal, Yabu looks like he needs Ozempic, and I don’t even know what Mitch looks like because we haven’t seen him.

I’d be inclined to prioritize KAT’s quad and go with Huk and Yabu at C for a while, with the added bonus that it will help play Yabu into shape.

KAT was obviously an issue. Having three rotation guys out was obviously an issue. Hart’s thumb is obviously an ongoing issue, and I think the team needs to have a Come to Jesus discussion with him about surgery.

That said, it also seems like when things aren’t going well, the guys abandon Brown’s ball movement system and go back to Thibs-style iso-ball. And only Jalen and Mikal are good enough to do that consistently. It’s a work in progress, and hopefully in time they learn to trust the new offense and play like they did in the second quarter.

On the bright side, Mikal is playing like an all-star. I guess the secret was playing him only 36.5mpg instead of 37…those extra 30 secs were really wearing him out.

On the other hand, here are some frightening BPM numbers:
KAT -3.4
Hart -4.0
Huk -5.2
Kolek -5.5
Clarkson -7.0
Yabu -7.5

Listening to Mike Brown’s postgame presser. Pretty boring. All pablum…”We need to bring the same energy and approach for 48 minutes…we did in the first half but players started to get away from our principles in the second half, e.g. not moving the ball, etc.”

What I observed last night is that Milwaukee made adjustments at halftime…mostly Giannis saying “Hey wait, I can just kick their ass singlehandedly and they have no one to stop me or even slow me down…” and “We are longer and more athletic than them, so let’s just defend harder and they will fall apart, especially after we paste a few shots to the backboard. BTW, Hart sucks so leave him wide open every time from anywhere outside of 3 feet. And KAT is both dumb and in a funk so goad him into dumb decisions on both ends.”

I’m not a doctor and can only speak with the authority of an overconfident WFAN caller about Hart’s decision not to get surgery, what the timetable would look like, and how much his finger (and back) are impeding him.

But I can say very confidently that he’s an enormously negative player for us right now, and not in ways that tend to sort themselves out e.g. OG’s 3PT%.

He’s only even attempting 28% of his shots at the rim so far (40% last year), and the less I say about his hit rate, from there and everywhere else, the better. He’s simply not doing the Josh Hart Things™ that make up, and then some, for him being guarded like Mitch on the perimeter.

I’ve said before and I will say again that there are people who generally take Hart’s importance to this team way too lightly. Versatile wings who can guard up and down, make plays, get out in transition with the best of them, and rebound like a demon don’t grow on trees. This all applies even more so to the current Knicks, who want for athleticism generally. Warts and all, I think it’s no accident we’ve consistently been meaningfully better with him on the court since he arrived. A prolonged absence would hurt us.

But he sucks right now and getting him right needs to be an urgent priority, because it’s hard to win tough games giving a lot of minutes to someone who sucks. Whether it’s rest for his back, getting the hand surgery, or whatever else, get it done and patch up the holes somehow.

Versatile wings who can guard up and down

I thought he lost this ability last year, and that’s why I wanted to sell high on him this summer. He’s still a heady, intelligent, team defender. I don’t think your wrong about his importance, but he’s a rapidly deteriorating asset (and will still be even when he starts playing better).

I’m normally a KAT defender (no pun intended) but that performance last night was as pathetic as you’ll ever see from an NBA player, especially one with his All Star cred.

And the low point was when he had a wide open follow up layup and got all backboard.

I’m almost hoping it’s the quad, because that version of KAT is unacceptable and you can forget championship aspirations if he doesn’t step it up.

Last night was very weird a la KAT. His super power has always been the ability, even as he’s pushed, hit on the head, hacked on the arm, and pushed out of bounds, to make a last-second adjustment and drop the ball in the basket.

The layup goof that d-mar mentions was the most glaring example of his having kryptonite in his pockets, but it was very strange as his terrible game didn’t seem to have any relationship to any possible injury. It was more like he had his meds dialed all wrong.

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