Giannis Antetokounmpo Drops 30 as Bucks Beat Kevin Knox, Knicks on Christmas

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points, 14 rebounds and four steals as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the New York Knicks 109-95 on Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden.

Antetokounmpo was indefensible, partially evidenced by his sky-high second-quarter jam following a steal:

Giannis Throws It Down 😱

Rookie forward Kevin Knox led the way for New York with 21 points as the Knicks dropped to 9-26. They have lost five straight and 12 of their last 14. The 23-10 Bucks won their fifth game in six tries.

Brogdon, Lopez Are X-Factors Who Can Catapult Bucks to NBA Finals

The Bucks have one of the NBA's most well-rounded starting lineups, as evidenced by the performances of guard Malcolm Brogdon and center Brook Lopez on Tuesday.

Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe are second and third on the team in points per game, respectively, but the pressure isn't on them to contribute a large portion of the scoring load every night. That rang true on Christmas. Those two combined for just 17 points, while Brogdon and Lopez assumed more of the scoring burden.

Brogdon stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Lopez chipped in 20 points.

Brodgon's offensive efficiency has been a huge boost for the Bucks. Entering Tuesday, he had made 50.6 percent of his field goals, 44.7 percent of his three-pointers and 98.0 percent of his free throws.

Rotoworld NBA sports analyst Tommy Beer offered high praise for Brogdon's work this season:

Lopez's unique offensive versatility for a big man has been a crucial asset as well. Capable of drilling deep three-pointers and scoring in the paint, the 7-foot veteran rounds out a starting lineup in which each player is realistically capable of scoring 20-plus points on a given night.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer gave Lopez a shoutout after one particular play Tuesday:

And Fred Katz of The Athletic pointed out the evolution in Lopez's offensive game:

The Bucks are now just one game behind the Toronto Raptors for first place in the Eastern Conference. Three teams are within 2.5 games of the No. 1 seed, with the Boston Celtics looming in fifth (4.5 games back).

Milwaukee has a tough fight to make the NBA Finals, but its starting unit contains the best scorers in the East. Entering Tuesday, the Bucks were third in starter scoring at 84.5 points per game, according to NBA.com. That mark is first in the East by 4.9 points. Milwaukee's starters are also fourth in field-goal percentage (49.1) and third in plus/minus (6.4).

The bench is fifth-to-last in points per game (32.4), so if the Bucks' depth is tested, that could be an issue. However, the team's starters are capable of carrying Milwaukee to its first NBA Finals appearance since 1974.

What's Next?

The Knicks and Bucks will finish their home-and-home set Thursday at 8 p.m. ET in Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum.