Game Info

Time: 2:00 p.m. CT

Location: O2 Arena (London)

TV: MSG (New York) NBATV (Milwaukee)

Team Matchup

Average Points: New York: 92.9 Milwaukee: 98.5

Average points allowed: New York: 101.9 Milwaukee: 97.7

Last Meetings

Nov. 18 2014

Seven players, including all five starters, scored in double figures with a team-high 20 from Ersan Illyasova and a double-double by Zaza Pachulia (14 pts, 13 rbs), as the Bucks defeated the New York Knicks, 117-113, in Milwaukee.

Carmelo Anthony was the high scorer for New York with 26 points, while Iman Shumpert played the most outstanding game of the season with 21 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.

The Bucks led by double digits for the majority of the first three quarters and nearly allowed a 26-point cushion to evaporate in the final minutes of the fourth. New York closed to within two points, 115-113, with 7.9 seconds left on a dunk by Anthony, but Jerryd Bayless hit two clutch costless throws to seal the game.

Milwaukee dominated the paint, outscoring the Knicks, 48 to 34, and out-rebounding them, 44 to 28.

Jan. 4 2015

It was just ten days ago that these two teams matched up against each other and like their first encounter, the Bucks took the victory, 95-82, with another big game from Pachulia (16 pts, 14 rbs) as well as Giannis Antetokounmpo (16 pts, 12 rbs).

Tim Hardaway Jr. had 17 points, as the Knicks lost a franchise-record 10th straight home game. New York played without Amare Stoudemire, Shumpert, Anthony, and Andrea Bargnani.

The Bucks were up, 45-38, at the half and took control in the third. They were up by 13 four minutes into the quarter, and the Knicks never got closer than 10 the rest of the way.

Game Preview

It has been the worst season in the history of the Knicks' organization, and they have hit rock bottom, as they have now lost fifteen consecutive games and are still seeking their first win since a 101-95 victory over the Boston Celtics on December 12. As a result, they have hit the reset button, shipping Shumpert, a strong perimeter defender, along with streaky shooting guard J.R. Smith to the Cavaliers to open up cap space and allow the younger players, like Cleanthony Early and Langston Galloway, who scored 19 in his debut on January 8, to gain valuable experience.  The future is bleak, but some good news is that Anthony is eyeing his return soon. In fact, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Anthony will attempt to play in Thursday’s game against the Bucks, although it’s unclear how many minutes he will play.

Meanwhile, the Bucks are right in the thick of the playoff race in fifth place and seem eager to show off their young, athletic squad to a worldwide stage. The struggling Knicks should have their hands full with a feisty Bucks defense. On December 26, Milwaukee ranked 21st in the league for defense, allowing an average of 101.2 points per game but since then, the Bucks have climbed back into the top ten for defense, currently at seventh, by holding opponents to just 97.7 points per game. In addition, they have held 12 consecutive opponents to under 50 percent shooting.

As part of the NBA Global Games, Milwaukee is playing its first game in franchise history overseas and head coach Jason Kidd is going for his third consecutive win in London, winning two years ago as a player for New York and a year ago as the head coach for the Brooklyn Nets. Kidd said both Ilyasova and Kenyon Martin should be available for the game. Ilyasova is returning after he suffered a concussion on December 23 against Charlotte. Martin took a shot to the chest when he collided with Jimmy Butler on Saturday night in Chicago.

Injury Report

Milwaukee

Jabari Parker – OUT (torn ACL)

Damien Inglis – OUT (broken foot)

Larry Sanders – OUT (personal reasons)

New York

Andrea Bargnani – OUT (sore calf)

Prediction

Even with the return of Melo, the Knicks will be shut down by Milwaukee’s defense and have trouble generating enough points. The Bucks win easily, 99-86.