The New York Knicks came into today’s game in Milwaukee against the Bucks in desperate need of a victory. But if you were beamed down to the Earth from another planet with no prior knowledge of either team, and saw the first quarter, you would have thought the Knicks were a team playing out the stretch. New York played its worst quarter of the season in the opening frame, being outscored 32-9. The Knicks fought valiantly and got back into the game, but never tied the score and eventually fell 100-95. The Bucks’ Carlos Delfino had a career-high 30 points, hitting six 3-point shots.
Amare Stoudemire led the Knicks with 25 points and 11 rebounds, but hoisted 28 shots in the process. Carmelo Anthony, fresh off his worst game as a Knick on Friday night, had 23 points but did little else. Interestingly enough, New York’s defense was not the main reason they lost the game. Giving up 32 first-quarter points to a low-scoring foe like the Bucks is never good, but the Knicks’ offense was plain awful in the first and fourth quarters. It remains apparent that the flow and chemistry between the new stars simply isn’t there yet, and the offense is suffering, as is the team’s record, which now sits at 35-34.
The loss dropped the Knicks below the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference standings, where the Knicks are now in seventh. It will not get any easier, as the Knicks host the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic later this week. Since they acquired Anthony and Chauncey Billups, New York is just 7-8.