Tonight's Matchup: New York Knicks vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Where: Madison Square Garden
TV: MSG Network (7:30 pm)
Knicks Report (15-63)
Tonight marks the beginning of the Knicks' final back-to-back of the season; they'll battle Milwaukee before heading to Orlando to play tomorrow night.
Derek Fisher's squad is coming off a 102-86 defeat against the Pacers, in which New York struggled to match up with Indy in the paint and on the glass. Langston Galloway continued to fight through the fatigue of a long rookie season, scoring 19 points to lead five Knicks in double-figure scoring: Andrea Bargnani (15), Tim Hardaway Jr., Quincy Acy and Jason Smith (12 apiece).
Bucks Report (38-40)
With four games left to play, including two against the teams directly below them in the standings, Milwaukee is hanging onto the 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. The Bucks control their own destiny, with a two-game cushion over Brooklyn (Sunday's opponent) and Boston, who they'll face in the regular season finale.
Jason Kidd's team has bounced back from having the NBA's worst record last season by playing defense -- an impressive feat considering the loss of rim protector Larry Sanders earlier in the year. The Bucks rank fifth in the league in defensive efficiency, which keeps them in games in spite of the 25th-best offense.
There is unprecedented length, led by trade deadline acquisition Michael Carter-Williams (6'6"), Khris Middleton (6'7") and Giannis Antetokounmpo (6'11") on the perimeter, and unsurprisingly the team is in the top 10 in both steals and blocked shots.