If you’ve been waiting for a game that’s a blueprint for what the retooled Knicks want to be this season, Friday’s big win over the Bucks checked all the boxes.
Karl-Anthony Towns was unstoppable on the offensive end, scoring from the rim and beyond the three-point arc.
Jalen Brunson had nine assists without committing a turnover.
OG Anunoby defends Giannis Antetokounmpo during Knicks’ win over Bucks. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Conn
Josh Hart filled out various columns on the score sheet, as is his wont.
Most important of all, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges took over guarding Milwaukee’s leading scoring leaders — Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard — and held their combined points to 43 points, well below their combined average of about 59 points entering the game.
“I thought OG and Mikal set our defensive style with tough matchups,” coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game. “I will tell you that OG is very unique in that he has the power, the speed, the anticipation. He has a second- and third-effort mentality. I think that goes a long way.
“A lot of the things he does for the team go unnoticed. But I think his teammates have a high regard for him. You can’t measure all the little things on every possession he makes.
The 7-foot-1 Towns, who scored 27 of his game-high 32 points in the first half, repeatedly called Anunoby “special” and “one of the best defenders I’ve ever seen” before noting that he played for MLB. Pro four times. Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert in Minnesota.
Brunson added that the 6-7 Anunoby, acquired from the Raptors last December, makes it look “very easy and effortless” to guard players bigger or smaller.
Mikal Bridges defends Damian Lillard during the Knicks’ win over the Bucks. Getty Images
“It’s pure talent that he has,” Bronson said. “The way he can guard the ball, the way he plays off the ball in situations, he’s a special piece for us. He’s been great since he’s been here.”
Anunoby finished the game with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocked shots in 32 minutes, in addition to his work against Antetokounmpo.
“He’s a great player, so make it as difficult as possible,” Anunoby said of the two-time MVP. “You know he’s going to score; just try to limit the scoring and also prevent him from getting comfortable like he usually does.
“I’ve played long enough to know what he does. He’s a great player. So just try to make things as difficult as possible.
The Knicks will then head to Indiana on Sunday to face the Pacers, who eliminated them in the second round of the playoffs last spring.
The Knicks have already dropped the Pacers once this season in their home opener last month, and Bridges was primarily responsible for holding All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton scoreless on 0-for-8 shooting, including seven misses from 3-point range.
Lillard held himself to 19 points on 6-of-15 shooting in Friday’s win, which tied the Knicks’ record at 4-4.
“Mikal takes on who he is as the primary ball handler and works on that throughout the game and continues to progress. I think that says a lot about him,” Thibodeau said. [Hart] He’s going to hustle, get loose balls, push the tempo and do what he does. If we do that and everyone sticks to their strengths and plays defense, we can be good.
“But we know now that we are underachieving, so we have to play hard and rebound the ball. We have to do that as a team. If we do that, good things will come of it.”
