Knicks hang on to defeat the Bucks 90-83

The Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks faced off in the first game of the regular season as both teams looked for the win. In the beginning the Knicks came out with lots of effort and that would lead to a very big 25 point lead. But in the fourth quarter they struggled which led to the Bucks coming back and taking a one point lead. But in the end, with the help of some big time defensive plays from Tyson Chandler, the Knicks were able to escape with the 90-83 victory.

The offense worked perfectly in the early part of the game, but turnovers would almost give the game away. The Knicks committed 22 turnovers, which led to 27 points. That area is something the Knicks prided themselves on last season and for them to commit that many turnovers was really puzzling.

Other then the struggles, there were some very nice positives. Carmelo Anthony shot the ball well tonight as he accumulated 19 points and 10 rebounds. Anthony played well late in this game as he made two huge baskets. Not only did Anthony come up big, but Tyson Chandler made some huge plays. Chandler had five blocks tonight and a couple of them came late in the game. He also had some huge dunks that gave the Knicks some great momentum. Both Anthony and Chandler closed out this one and provided some positive play late in the game.

Gary Neal of the Bucks provided some much needed points in this game. Off the bench, Neal scored 16 points that helped get the Bucks back into the game. Another Buck who played well was Caron Butler. He scored 14 points and continues to play well now in his 12th season. Butler provides veteran leadership that the Bucks need. Tonight they came up short, but Butler is a nice pick up for them.

Overall tonight the Knicks played great at time and terrible at times. But a win is a win. The turnovers will be addressed and taken care of, but the concern should be about consistent offense. Tonight they showed signs of great offensive play, but they also showed signs of struggles. If they can get everything in sync they should be alright.

Brandon Knight did start for the Bucks tonight, but left early in the first quarter Knight strained his right hamstring. He did not return and is day-to-day.

Amare Stoudemire also sat out for the Knicks. Mike Woodson does expect him to play tomorrow and Keyon Martin, who played tonight, will not play.

With the first game now in the books, the New York Knicks now have a win in the win column. The Bucks fall to 0-1 on the season after fighting really hard to get back into the game. The Knicks will play the Chicago Bulls tomorrow night looking to continue their winning ways. The Bucks will play at Boston on November 1st looking for win number one.

Photo Credit: AP Photo/Frank Franklin II