Bucks Fall to Knicks as Damian Lillard Reflects on Defensive Shortcomings

The Milwaukee Bucks suffered a crushing 140-106 defeat at the hands of the New York Knicks on Sunday at Madison Square Garden. Damian Lillard, the Bucks’ star point guard, led his team with 22 points, three rebounds, five assists, and one steal, shooting 8-of-17 from the field and 2-of-7 from beyond the arc in 37 minutes. Despite his solid effort, the game exposed glaring issues for the Bucks.

After the game, Lillard delivered a candid assessment of the team’s performance. “A lot of our stuff that we talked about at our meeting this morning and our scouting report and the things that we wanted to stop them from doing and getting to, we just didn’t do that,” he told reporters. “There’s a reason why our coaches were telling us these are things we have to take away… Pretty much all of those things they were able to do.”

Now in his second season with Milwaukee after being traded from the Portland Trail Blazers in 2023, Lillard is averaging 24.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 44.0% from the field and 37.5% from deep in 30 appearances this season. Despite his individual brilliance, the Bucks find themselves struggling for consistency, sitting at 20-17 and sixth in the Eastern Conference standings.

Milwaukee has been inconsistent, going 5-5 in their last ten games. The loss to the Knicks highlights their defensive struggles, an area Lillard and his teammates will need to address. The Bucks will look to bounce back when they host the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, hoping to regain their rhythm and strengthen their playoff positioning.