Giannis Antetokounmpo's Triple-double Sinks New York Knicks as Milwaukee Bucks Nab 18th Win

(Photo : Elsa/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NEW YORK - Julius Randle #30 of the New York Knicks and Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks fight for position in the second half at Madison Square Garden on December 12, 2021 in New York City. The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the New York Knicks 112-97.

The Milwaukee Bucks extended their winning streak to two games on Sunday afternoon with a resounding 112-97 victory over the New York Knicks. Seven players scored in double-figures for the red-hot Bucks, who moved to within 1.5 games of leaders Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference standings.

Middleton, Antetokounmpo lead Bucks' balanced attack

Khris Middleton led all Bucks scorers with 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the field. He also had eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 32 minutes of action. Giannis Antetokounmpo also filled the stat sheet, recording his first triple-double of the season against the Knicks.

He scored 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out 11 assists to win against New York. Antetokounmpo loves playing against the Knicks, averaging 21.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, and four assists in 28 career outings against New York before Sunday's matchup.

Bobby Portis, Jrue Holiday, and Grayson Allen were the other starters to score double digits for Milwaukee, adding 19, 13, and 12 points, respectively. Reserves Rodney Hood and Pat Connaughton also contributed for the Bucks, combining for 24 points.

In this contest, the Bucks got off to a dream start, building a 9-1 lead 4:07 into the game. They stormed to a 26-16 lead after the first quarter and stretched that advantage to 54-33 with 4:28 remaining in the second quarter.

Turnovers doom undermanned Knicks

The Bucks settled for a 61-48 lead at the halftime break, with the Knicks' turnovers contributing to their huge deficit. New York committed nine turnovers in the first two quarters, resulting in 20 points for Milwaukee.

It did not help matters for the Knicks that they were undermanned in this encounter. R.J. Barrett and Obi Toppin entered the league's health and safety protocols before the game while starting point guard Alec Burks was also sidelined for personal reasons.

Quentin Grimes put on quite a show in his first career NBA start, scoring 27 points on 9 of 17 shooting from the floor. Seven of his nine made field goals came from beyond the arc, setting a team record for most 3-pointers made by a rookie in a game. His 27-point performance was the highest by a Knicks rookie in a game since the 1996-97 season. Derrick Rose, who was also inserted into the starting lineup, had 18 points and seven assists.

However, New York's other starters failed to step up against Milwaukee, leading to the Knicks' blowout loss. Julius Randle scored just eight points as he missed seven of his nine field-goal attempts.

Evan Fournier's shooting woes continued on Sunday, scoring just six points. His shooting stroke from outside deserted him again, going just 1 of 7 from the 3-point area in the loss to the Bucks.