Giannis, 'Terrifying' Bucks Hyped by NBA Fans in Win Over Jalen Brunson, Knicks

Further proving that their early-season struggles are a thing of the past, the Milwaukee Bucks picked up their seventh consecutive victory with a 130-111 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

Even more terrifying for other Eastern Conference contenders is the Bucks put up 130 points in a game that neither Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard were at their best.

Antetokounmpo had 28 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and five turnovers in 28 minutes. Lillard scored 19 points on 6-of-16 shooting with nine rebounds and seven assists.

Milwaukee put up at least 30 points in three of the four quarters against New York's defense.

Malik Beasley and Bobby Portis had their shooting touch working all day. They combined to score 42 points on 16-of-27 shooting (8-of-13 from three-point range) and 17 rebounds.

Antetokounmpo and Lillard are going to find buckets, even playing at less than their best, because they're often the two most-talented players on the court every single night.

Being able to rely on role players like Beasley, Portis, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton only makes the Bucks that much more dangerous.

Middleton, in particular, looks to be finding his rhythm. This was the third time in his last seven games played scoring at least 20 points. He didn't hit that mark in his first 17 appearances.

Middleton has been better than a role player prior to this season, but the addition of Lillard has allowed him to take on a slightly lesser role after dealing with injuries since the start of the 2022-23 season.

The Knicks got very little from anyone outside of Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and Isaiah Hartenstein. New York's dynamic duo of Brunson and Randle combined for 62 points and 10 rebounds, with Brunson having seven assists.

Hartenstein did a good job offensively in his first big test since moving into the starting lineup in the wake of Mitchell Robinson's season-ending ankle surgery. He had a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass.

The Bucks are now only one game behind the Boston Celtics in the loss column for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. They could end up tied by the end of the day, pending the result of Boston's game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Milwaukee will have a chance to extend its winning streak to eight games in this same building on Christmas Day. The Bucks and Knicks will wrap up their two-game series at MSG on Monday at 12 p.m. ET.