NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals continue on TSN
Published
The first NBA In-Season Tournament has progressed to the knockout stage, and TSN has the New York Knicks battling the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night for the second spot in the Eastern semifinals.
After the Indiana Pacers shocked the Boston Celtics in a 122-112 upset victory on Monday, all eyes move to the Knicks and Bucks to determine their opponent.
Milwaukee (14-6) sits just one game out of the lead in the Eastern Conference, and have won eight of their last 10 - including all four games in round-robin play to win Group B.
The Knicks (12-7) are fifth in the East and have won three straight. They earned the wild-card seed in the behind a 3-1 record in the round robin and a +42 point differential in their four games.
New York is anchored by their defence, which ranks first in the NBA in points allowed at 105.2 per game. They have allowed 99.5 points per game in their four In-Season Tournament games, which is also the lowest mark in the league.
Point guard Jalen Brunson has elevated his play for the Knicks this season, leading the team in points (24.9) and assists (5.5) per game. He scored 45 points in the Knicks' only meeting against the Bucks this year, a game the Bucks won 110-105 on Nov. 3.
Milwaukee's offence rolled in the round robin matches, averaging just over 125 points per game in their four wins, which is the second-highest total in the NBA.
They will be without key role players in Pat Connaughton and Jae Crowder though, who are both dealing with injuries.