MILWAUKEE _ The last time the Knicks played against the juggernaut in Milwaukee _ on Dec. 2 _ it was a bloodbath. They lost by 44 points in one of those ugly performances that doomed David Fizdale to unemployment.
This time, it was similar as the Knicks were battered by the Bucks, 128-102, on Tuesday at Fiserv Forum.
The big difference between teams, of course, is that the Bucks have Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Knicks do not. Perhaps they'll make a pitch for the reigning MVP in free agency of 2021, but, in the meantime, they can only dream of a time the Greek Freak won't be standing in their way in the Eastern Conference.
Antetokounmpo was dominant with 37 points on 12 of 17 shooting to go with nine rebounds and four assists in just 21 minutes, killing the Knicks from all parts of the court.
The Bucks (36-6) jumped out to a 18-4 advantage in the first quarter but the Knicks cut that deficit to 2 within about four minutes. Then Milwaukee took over, dominating the second quarter to take a 25-point advantage into the break. The rest of the game was a countdown to the inevitable as the Knicks (11-30) lost for the sixth time in their last seven games.
The Knicks were again without Marcus Morris, who missed his fourth consecutive game with a neck strain, and Frank Ntilikina, who sat his second straight because of a sore groin.
Without Morris, the Knicks again leaned on Julius Randle. He had 25 points and 15 rebounds, going 10 of 20 from the field and 3 of 6 from deep. RJ Barrett chipped in with 22 points and eight rebounds, shooting 5 of 7 from behind the arc.
Elfrid Payton, the starting point guard, was given a double-tech in the third quarter and was ejected, leaving Kadeem Allen (a G-League call-up) as the only point guard. Payton finished with just two points in 19 minutes on 1-of-6 shooting.
The Bucks torched New York's defense by shooting 49% overall and 43% from beyond the arc.
The Knicks next have a two-game homestand against the Suns and Sixers before a one-game trip to Cleveland. They own the third-worst record in the NBA.
