• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Knight's late 3 gives Bucks win over Knicks

Feb 4, 2014 - 5:18 AM Milwaukee, WI (SportsNetwork.com) - Brandon Knight buried a 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds left to lift the Bucks past the New York Knicks, 101-98, on Monday.

The last time these two teams met in Milwaukee, New York walked away with a 107-101 win in double overtime. Knight made sure there wasn't an extra session in this one.

Coming out of a timeout, Carmelo Anthony canned a wide-open trey from the top of the key to tie the game, 98-98, with 19.4 seconds left.

On the ensuing Bucks possession, Knight dribbled down the clock and hit a contested 3-pointer to help the Bucks snap a seven-game losing streak to the Knicks and six-game losing streak overall.

"I got into a rhythm and was able to knock down the shot," Knight said of the deciding bucket. "We just kept fighting. We took a step in the right direction."

Knight finished with 25 points and seven assists, Khris Middleton tallied 19 points, and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 15 points of the bench in the win.

Anthony led all scorers with 36 points -- including 17 in the fourth quarter -- and J.R. Smith chipped in with a season-high 30 points on 6-of-11 shooting from beyond the arc in New York's second straight loss.

"We just couldn't get the stops," said Knicks coach Mike Woodson. "We just couldn't get the stops when we needed it. (For) 48 minutes you have to compete and any team can beat you. This is a game I thought we could have won and we let this one get away."

Ersan Ilyasova capped an 8-0 run to open the game, and Pablo Prigioni and Middleton traded 3s as the Bucks led 11-3 early on.

Anthony then got going as he hit treys around a Smith triple to cap a 15-2 run with 2:15 to play in the first.

Knight found Larry Sanders for an alley-oop to ignite a 12-2 run that Middleton closed with a 3 to give the Bucks a 34-31 lead at 5:08 of the second.

Milwaukee went 5-for-5 from beyond the arc in the second stanza to help it take a 50-43 lead into the locker room.

Milwaukee led for the entire third quarter, but an 8-2 New York run trimmed the deficit to 64-62 with just under three minutes to play. Zaza Pachulia answered with a layup before Caron Butler knocked down a 3 and the Bucks led 75-69 heading into the fourth.

With the Bucks holding an 83-73 edge early in the fourth, Anthony scored seven points during a 9-0 sprint to cut the Knicks' deficit to one. Smith later tied the game at 87-87 with a pair of free throws with 3:44 remaining.

Anthony then answered an Antetokounmpo layup with a pair of free throws, then followed a Middleton 3 with one of his own to tie the game at 92-92 with 2 1/2 minutes to play.

Pachulia made a hook shot over the outstretched arms of Tyson Chandler to keep the pendulum swinging, and Middleton hit free throws with 49.8 ticks left to make it a four-point game.

Smith buried a 3 less than five seconds later and Pachulia found Knight on a nice backdoor cut before the Bucks point guard finished a layup to set up the dramatic finish.

Anthony was smothered on the final possession, and his last second 3 was well off the mark as the Bucks held on.

Game Notes

Knight shot 10-for-23 from the field, while Anthony made 13-of-25 attempts from the floor ... Ilyasova and Pachulia scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, in the win ... No New York player was in double figures other than Anthony and Smith ... Milwaukee had a 44-40 edge in rebounds ... The Bucks outscored the Knicks, 17-9, on the fastbreak.