Knicks at Bucks: How & Who To Watch As Weekend Pair Tips Off

Everybody's working for the weekend, but the grind only continues if you're on the New York Knicks.

Fresh off a perfectly victorious three-game homestand against lesser or wounded competition, the Knicks are nonetheless entering a dangerous weekend with a wave of momentum, set to battle the mighty Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night before heading to Cleveland two nights later.

The Knicks are already accustomed to working overtime, having had half of their four games end in a fifth period so far. Their most recent such contest ended in their favor, as they prevailed in a 134-131 decision over the Charlotte Hornets behind Jalen Brunson's 27-point, 13-assist double-double. Brunson was responsible for all but four of the Knicks' dozen points in overtime through six tallies and an assist.

Milwaukee topped the Knicks in three of four meetings last season as the defending champions. They currently stand as the only undefeated team left on the NBA circuit, having just topped the Brooklyn Nets 110-99 on Wednesday night at home. The Bucks are in the midst of a six-game homestand that will run through Nov. 2. Milwaukee is once again led by the services of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 36 points and 13 rebounds over his first three.

What: New York Knicks (3-1) at Milwaukee Bucks (3-0)

Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI

When/Watch: 8 p.m. ET, MSG/MSG Go

Jalen Brunson running back down the court without looking as soon as he dropped the dime is one of the coldest things I've ever seen pic.twitter.com/ZfSMYkqYSq
— Knicks Memes (@KnicksMemes) October 27, 2022

Keep an Eye On: Jalen Brunson

The Knicks are headed into a crucial weekend and Brunson will need to prove why he got the money he got. It's great that they took care of business against the Orlandos and Charlottes of the world and Brunson played a huge role in that victory.

But that, of course, is not why Brunson got his payday.

He earned his multi-millions through high-profile postseason exploits with the Dallas Mavericks, so it's time to prove his worth against a Bucks team just two years removed from a championship and a Cleveland Cavaliers team that landed the Knicks' primary offseason target in Donovan Mitchell. Weekends like these are the primary occasions that earned Brunson the big bucks (pun intended).

There's no doubt that Brunson has changed the Knicks for the better in an extremely small sample size. They're livelier, moving the ball around in a more fluid fashion, and seeds of genuine excitement are planted at Madison Square Garden. There will always be a sense of wariness, however, until Brunson rises to the occasion against an elite opponent. He had that opportunity on opening night and shot 0-for-4 in overtime in Memphis. The Charlotte display was a great recovery but now it's time to so do against the big boys.

.@BPortistime with a double-double last night off the bench! 🦌🏆

20 PTS // 8-14 FG // 11 REBS pic.twitter.com/S2CIQ64lWi
— Priority Sports (@PrioritySports) October 27, 2022

Buck to Watch: Bobby Portis

The Knicks' tour against failed reclamation projects continues: after Dennis Smith Jr. nearly led the Hornets to victory on Wednesday, they'll now faceoff against Portis, a former Chicago draft pick who has found a home in Wisconsin after failed single-year stints in both Manhattan and Washington D.C.

There's no doubt that the Bucks fly as high or low as Antetokounmpo takes them, but they've enjoyed terrific interior depth through Portis, the early leader in defensive rate as the Association enters its second week of play. The Knicks' early high-scoring antics thus face a brutal challenge as they seek to keep the early momentum alive.

Bragging rights could also well be on the line come Friday night: over the offseason, Portis expressed wishes that his metropolitan career went a little differently ... but only because he claimed that playing for the Knicks was a "miserable" experience. Ending Portis' early perfection would perhaps be the perfect way to show not only are they better off on their separate terms but that newcomers find the New York experience anything but "miserable."

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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