New York Knicks vs. Milwaukee Bucks (129-122)

The recent clash between the New York Knicks and the Milwaukee Bucks was a thrilling display of skill, determination, and sheer excitement. The final score of 129-122 in favor of the Knicks showcased their ability to outperform one of the league's strongest teams.

From the very beginning, it was evident that both teams were hungry for victory. The Bucks, led by their star player Giannis Antetokounmpo, displayed incredible athleticism and dominance on the court. However, the Knicks refused to back down. Their relentless defense and strategic offense allowed them to maintain a narrow lead throughout most of the game.

One standout player for the Knicks was Julius Randle. His exceptional performance included scoring 40 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Randle's ability to consistently deliver under pressure proved crucial in securing their victory.

Four Knicks -- Brunson, Julius Randle (24), RJ Barrett (21) and Immanuel Quickley (20) -- scored at least 20 points, becoming the second team in the past 50 years to do so on Christmas Day, joining the 2012 Rockets, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

"We had a lot of guys in double figures and a lot of assists," Quickley said. "It was fun to play like that when everybody is moving and touching [the ball]. I think our defense really bled into our offense, so that has got to be the way every night."

New York picked up a victory despite Milwaukee getting a combined 88 points from its Big 3 of Giannis Antetokounmpo (32), Damian Lillard (32) and Khris Middleton (24).

"They came out and played like they had practiced and talked about it," Lillard said. "They played faster, played with a lot of energy and I thought they had a more collective effort, too. They had a lot of guys contribute to the win. We could've done a lot of things better and gave ourselves a little bit of a chance in the end, but it was just too late."

Milwaukee came in averaging 132.4 points in December but couldn’t even break 40 until there were less than four minutes remaining in the first half. The Bucks trailed by 16 with 4 1/2 minutes remaining in the game before a late flurry that made the score closer than the game felt.

"I thought they out-competed us today for the most part," Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said. "I thought offensively we got some good looks, but we just couldn’t knock them down. And when you’re on the road, you get clean looks, you’ve got to knock them down."

Brunson went 15 for 28 from the field, following up games of 45 and 36 points against the Bucks this season. Isaiah Hartenstein had 11 points and eight rebounds, and Josh Hart came off the bench for 10 points and nine rebounds.

Lillard tried to help the Bucks chip away at a 13-point deficit in the second but didn't get much help, with Middleton going 1 for 7 and Antetokounmpo 1 for 6. Randle's 3-pointer made it 62-51 at the break.

Milwaukee cut it to 77-73 midway through the third quarter, but Hart had a good burst of three straight Knicks baskets later in the period as New York pushed it back to 98-87 after three.

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Sarah H

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