Bucks 102 - 96 Knicks
Final
  for this game

Playoff-hopeful Bucks visit Knicks at MSG

Mar 25, 2011 - 3:10 PM (Sports Network) - A desperate Milwaukee Bucks team hits the road tonight to take on the slumping New York Knicks at historic Madison Square Garden.

The Bucks sit three games behind Indiana for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference after Wednesday's 97-90 home loss to the lowly Sacramento Kings.

Carlos Delfino finished with 30 points for the Bucks, who had a brief two-game winning streak snapped and have just 12 games left to make a run at the Pacers. Andrew Bogut had 15 points and nine rebounds for Milwaukee.

"We got off to a pretty good start offensively but it was a little bit of fool's gold," Bucks head coach Scott Skiles said. "They (Sacramento) weren't very sharp early in the game defensively and we took advantage of it like we had to, but our defense was very poor basically start to finish. We just didn't have the type of intensity and focus you'd like to see and understanding the enormity of the game, we were kind of passive out there."

The Knicks, meanwhile, have been a massive disappointment since acquiring Carmelo Anthony in a blockbuster deal from Denver last month. New York is just 7-10 since acquiring the four-time All-Star, with six of those losses coming against teams with losing records.

The team's latest setback came against a solid team, however, as Orlando stepped into MSG and disposed of the Knicks, 111-99, when Dwight Howard finished with 33 points and 11 rebounds as the Magic used a strong fourth quarter to top New York.

Anthony paced the Knicks with 24 points and nine assists. Chauncey Billups and Tony Douglas both scored 17 and Amare Stoudemire added 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in the loss, New York's seventh in eight games.

"I think we're still staying together and still staying focused," said Stoudemire. "We're not panicking cause we know this is a work in progress, it just takes time."

The Knicks, who have dropped below .500 for the first time since November, are now two games back of Philadelphia for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference and are 3 1/2 games ahead of Indiana for the final playoff spot.

Milwaukee has won five of its past six and nine of 11 meetings with New York.






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