Jalen Brunson scored a game-high 37 points on Friday, helping the New York Knicks earn a 118-109 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks and advance to the NBA Cup knockout stage.
Josh Hart finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists and Miles McBride scored 19 for the Knicks, who won their third straight and finished atop East Group C with a 3-1 record. Mikal Bridges added 14 for New York, while Karl-Anthony Towns totaled nine points and 10 rebounds.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 30 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in his return from a four-game absence caused by a thigh injury. Kyle Kuzma scored 20, AJ Green added 18, Ryan Rollins put up 13 and Myles Turner had 10 for Milwaukee, which dropped its seventh straight game.
The Bucks went 2-2 in NBA Cup action and were eliminated from contention.
After Milwaukee took a one-point lead into halftime, neither team took a two-possession advantage until Brunson’s consecutive jumpers gave the Knicks an 82-76 lead with 4:35 left in the third.
Brunson’s 3-pointer with 19.7 seconds remaining put the Knicks ahead by five before Cole Anthony hit one of three free throws to trim the Bucks’ deficit to 92-88 entering the fourth.
McBride began the fourth with consecutive treys, which were followed by Tyler Kolek’s 3-pointer that extended the lead to 101-88.
With 6:41 left, Hart’s dunk gave the Knicks a 104-95 lead. Rollins’ layup, Kuzma’s triple and Antetokounmpo’s dunk then pulled the visitors within two.
New York ended a three-plus minute scoring drought with Brunson’s three free throws to take a 107-102 lead at the 3:37 mark. Kuzma and McBride then traded 3-pointers before Antetokounmpo’s layup cut the Bucks’ deficit to three.
Brunson’s three-point play put the Knicks up by seven with 1:27 left, icing the victory.
After Green’s 3-pointer gave the Bucks a 32-22 lead, New York trimmed its deficit to four entering the second quarter.
Hart’s three-point play gave the Knicks a one-point lead, but Gary Trent Jr.’s triple and Antetokounmpo’s basket began an 11-0 Bucks run.
Antetokounmpo’s three-point play extended Milwaukee’s lead to 55-43 with 5:19 left in the first half. Mitchell then scored six of New York’s eight straight, pulling the Knicks within four.
The Knicks later took a two-point lead on Bridges’ personal 5-0 run, but Kuzma sank a triple with 1.5 seconds left to give the Bucks a 62-61 halftime-lead.
