The Knicks have spent much of the early 2026-27 schedule grinding through a difficult slate, but the last few games have opened the door a bit. Over their last five, they’ve faced the Bulls twice, the Nets, and a Cavaliers team that’s been struggling. Tonight brings another favorable setup, this time against a Bucks squad that just took a 20-point loss to the Celtics and sits at 1-9 in the first year after Giannis Antetokounmpo.
That’s why this matchup feels like one New York should control. The Knicks have been settling in during this softer stretch, and there’s still a sense they haven’t fully hit their ceiling.
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns just put together a dominant week and reminded everyone what this group can look like at its best. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, meanwhile, still haven’t really found their shooting rhythm on the wing.
Once they do, the Knicks look like the same team that rolled through last postseason.
For now, though, the assignment is simple: handle business against a clearly inferior opponent. That sounds easy enough, but these Knicks have had a habit of making life harder than it needs to be when they’re supposed to cruise.
They’ve played down to competition more than once over the last few years. If they really have turned a corner, this is the kind of game they need to put away early, especially with another matchup waiting tomorrow night.
Brunson is the obvious name to circle. He leads the team in points and shots per game, and he’s had a history of torching Milwaukee.
Since the 2023 season, the Bucks’ first after moving on from Jrue Holiday, Brunson has averaged 34.5 PPG and 5.7 APG in 10 games against them. Add in his recent surge after a slow start, and the matchup gets even tougher for Milwaukee.
The Bucks enter the night ranked 27th in defensive rating, and there doesn’t appear to be anyone on their roster equipped to slow Brunson down. He’s the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, and that makes him the safest bet to drive the Knicks’ offense again.
There’s also a path for Tyler Kolek to get some extra run if the game gets out of hand. The third-year guard is averaging 14.9 assists per 36 minutes, though that number would be tough to sustain in a normal rotation. Still, with the Cavaliers coming back on the schedule tomorrow, Kolek could be in line for meaningful minutes and a chance to strengthen his hold on the backup point guard job.
Karl-Anthony Towns should have his own edge inside. Milwaukee is sixth in rebounds per game, largely because of its team-wide work on the glass, with Kel’el Ware, Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. all contributing. Even so, the Bucks don’t have a player who can consistently deal with Towns’ size and physicality.
He’s been a problem for nearly everyone New York has faced, and he’s been relentless around the rim. Drummond could make things interesting if the game turns into a blowout, but Towns should be active from the opening tip.
The Knicks have the advantage in just about every area, even if they haven’t fully reached their best form yet. They can still drift and start slowly at times, but the talent gap is hard to ignore. However they get there, New York should be in position to win comfortably by the end.
In Other News...
James Dolan May Be Standing In The Knicks' Way Again
Karl-Anthony Towns irritation over not having a contract extension appears to be aimed less at the Knicks basketball operations staff than at owner James Dolan, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. The backdrop here is straightforward enough: New York has been working through the realities of a pricey roster, and the extension conversation has become part of that larger picture as the team tries to balance present ambition with future flexibility.
Dolans reluctance to push the Knicks into the NBAs second salary cap apron has added another layer to the discussion, with the concern centered on roster-building restrictions rather than simple spending. The Athletic piece lays out how those second-apron rules can limit what a team can do, while also noting that New York is already living with some of those constraints because of its current salary situation, which makes the extension question feel less like a routine negotiation and more like a test of how far the franchise is willing to go. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Face A Bigger Karl-Anthony Towns Decision Than Fans Realize
The Knicks have already put a big number on the table for Karl-Anthony Towns, with a reported offer in the $45 million to $50 million per year range, but there still is not an extension in place. For a team that has spent recent seasons trying to build around star power, the hesitation says as much about long-term planning as it does about Towns himself.
New York is weighing more than just the immediate fit. The front office is wary of locking into another expensive deal that could age badly as stars get older, especially with salary cap rules making every major commitment harder to unwind. The result is a familiar Knicks balancing act, one that could shape not only Towns' future but the flexibility of the roster around him. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Keep Finding Bargains And Jordan Clarkson Is Proving Why
The Knicks have made a habit of squeezing real value out of the margins, and Jordan Clarkson is the latest example. On a veterans minimum deal, he has been one of their most productive players this season and has even led the team in plus/minus through its first nine games, a reminder that bargain contracts can carry real weight when the roster is built the right way.
Landry Shamet offered a similar blueprint last season, arriving on a non-guaranteed deal before turning that opportunity into a multi-year contract after helping in the playoffs. In a salary cap era where every usable rotation piece matters, New York has shown it can uncover players who outperform the price tag, and Clarkson is giving that approach another boost. [Read more 🡒]