Bucks 80 - 89 Knicks
Final
  for this game

Knicks, Bucks clash at MSG

Mar 26, 2012 - 2:49 PM (Sports Network) - The New York Knicks will attempt to put more distance between themselves and the Milwaukee Bucks when the two teams tangle at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks lead Milwaukee by 1 1/2 games for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Of course New York is also eyeing the Atlantic Division title and is just three games behind slumping Philadelphia after improving to 6-1 under interim coach Mike Woodson with a 101-79 rout of Detroit on Saturday.

Amare Stoudemire led a balanced Knicks attack in that one with 17 points. Tyson Chandler scored 15 and grabbed 17 rebounds, Carmelo Anthony netted 15 points of his own and J.R. Smith and Jeremy Lin finished with 14 and 13 points, respectively.

New York shook off a loss to Toronto on Friday, its first defeat under Woodson, and swept the season series 3-0 over Detroit in the process. The Knicks have been especially impressive at MSG under Woodson, winning its first four games under the coach by an average of nearly 25 points.

Stoudemire sat out the fourth quarter due to a stiff back, but Anthony said it's not a cause for concern.

"I saw him (Stoudemire) after the game and he said everything is cool," Anthony said. "He just didn't want to take any chances."

The Bucks, meanwhile, were on the wrong side of a rout Saturday, falling to Central Division-rival Indiana, 125-104, in the final tilt of a back-to-back- to-back stretch for each team.

Ersan Ilyasova paced the Bucks with 22 points and eight boards. Carlos Delfino had 13 points, Brandon Jennings finished with 12 and Monta Ellis contributed 11 in Milwaukee's second loss in three games.

"They really put it on us good. We just couldn't stop them," said Dunleavy. "It got ugly. It was a bad loss."

The Bucks, who still own a five-game road winning streak, have won 12 of their last 14 meetings with the Knicks with Jennings as the catalyst for a lot of that dominance.

Milwaukee has won eight of nine over New York since the Knicks passed up the dynamic guard with the eighth selection in the 2009 NBA Draft. Jennings eventually went two slots later to the Bucks and has averaged 20.7 points per game against the Knicks.






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