Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his hot start by scoring 23 of his game-high 37 points in the second half Tuesday night, sparking the Milwaukee Bucks’ comeback from a double-digit deficit to a 121-111 win over the visiting New York Knicks.
Antetokounmpo’s layup with 5:31 left snapped a 103-103 tie, putting the Bucks ahead for good and kickstarting a game-ending 18-8 run as Milwaukee won for the third time in four contests.
Antetokounmpo added eight rebounds and seven assists — including six rebounds and six assists in the second half. He is averaging 36.3 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists per game this season.
Ryan Rollins scored a career-high 25 points while Gary Trent Jr. added 11 points for the Bucks, who trailed by 14 points in the second quarter and were down 71-59 at the half.
Jalen Brunson put up 36 points for the Knicks, who have lost two straight after opening the season 2-0. Brunson played the final 6:13 with an apparent right leg injury sustained as he tried lunging back for the ball after Rollins swatted it away from him.
Mikal Bridges (24 points, 10 rebounds) posted his second double-double since joining the Knicks prior to last season while Landry Shamet had 16 points. Karl-Anthony Towns pulled down 12 rebounds but scored just eight points on 2-of-12 shooting.
The teams traded runs before the Bucks finally took control in the fourth.
The Knicks held a pair of eight-point leads in the first, but Milwaukee ended the quarter with a 27-26 lead. The Bucks extended the advantage to 37-29 before New York closed out the first half on a 42-22 run.
The Bucks outscored the Knicks 35-20 in the third, when there were four ties and five lead changes. Milwaukee pulled away in the final period thanks to Antetokounmpo and Rollins, who combined for 15 of the final 20 points by the hosts.
