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'Melo, Knicks pay a visit to Bucks

Nov 18, 2014 - 2:43 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - It's been more than two weeks since the New York Knicks won back-to-back games. They will try to achieve that success again Tuesday against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center.

The Knicks won two in a row from Oct. 30 - Nov. 2 and put an end to a nagging seven-game losing streak with Sunday's 109-93 victory versus the Denver Nuggets in the finale of a four-game stay at Madison Square Garden.

Carmelo Anthony scored 28 points on 10-of-14 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds, while J.R. Smith also netted 28 points on 10-of-16 shots. The Knicks shot 53.9 percent from the field and demolished Denver by a 31-8 score in the second quarter.

"I thought in that second quarter we played great defense, buckling down, keeping them out of transition. It led to our offensive end," said Anthony, who is averaging 29.2 points in his last five games and is fifth in the NBA with 23.9 ppg.

Anthony is 34 points shy of passing Latrell Sprewell for 18th on the franchise's all-time scoring list.

The Knicks were without guard Iman Shumpert (hip) and he is doubtful Tuesday. Shumpert is posting an average of 12.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists.

New York is 1-3 away from MSG this season and will play five of the next six games on the road. It will visit Minnesota Wednesday.

Milwaukee has won three of its last four games, including an improbable 91-84 victory in Miami on Sunday. Brandon Knight scored nine of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and buried three straight 3-pointers late in the game to keep the Heat at bay.

"For me it was just about getting the win," said Knight. "It came down to crunch time and I had the opportunity to make some shots and my teammates trusted me to do that."

Rookie Jabari Parker scored 13 points, while Larry Sanders, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Zaza Pachulia each added 11 for the Bucks, who made 52.7 percent of their shots in the third quarter and snapped a five-game losing streak to the Dwyane Wade-less Heat.

Milwaukee shot 47.3 percent from the field and is 28th in scoring this season with 91.8 ppg. The Bucks, though, are fourth in the league in opponents' scoring at 92.6 ppg.

The Bucks have a 3-1 mark at home and lost three of four meetings with New York last season. Bucks head coach Jason Kidd played the 2012-13 season with the Knicks.

Anthony averaged 26.8 points in four games against Milwaukee last season.