Towns moves one double-double from Willis Reed's record as Knicks rout Bucks 117-85

The defending champion New York Knicks are playing like champions again. On Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks overwhelmed the Milwaukee Bucks 117-85, winning their fourth game in a row and their sixth in seven since an 0-3 start left their title defence looking shaky. Jalen Brunson led New York with 23 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points and 16 rebounds, and OG Anunoby scored 19 points, including five three-pointers. The Knicks improved to 6-4. The Bucks fell to 1-10, their seventh consecutive defeat. New York out-rebounded Milwaukee 59-32 and made 17 three-pointers, turning a competitive opening quarter into a rout before half-time and then into a procession in the fourth.

Brunson sets the tone

Brunson, named Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday after leading the Knicks to three straight wins from 2 to 8 November, picked up exactly where he left off. He scored 23 points on 18 shots and went 8 of 8 from the free-throw line, attacking the paint early and keeping Milwaukee's defence stretched.

Anunoby's five three-pointers were the sharpest edge of New York's outside shooting. The Knicks' ball movement repeatedly found him in space, and his willingness to fire early in the shot clock kept Milwaukee's defence from settling. When the Bucks tried to load up on Brunson, the ball swung to the wing and the lead grew. Towns, meanwhile, did his most important work before the ball even went up. He battled for position on both ends, cleaned the defensive glass, and gave New York second chances that Milwaukee simply could not match.

The second-quarter breakaway

The game was still competitive after the first quarter, which New York won 26-21. Then the Knicks produced the decisive burst. They outscored Milwaukee 32-13 in the second quarter, turning a five-point edge into a commanding half-time lead, and the Bucks never recovered.

The run that broke the game open belonged to Towns and reserve guard Tyler Kolek. The pair combined to score the first 14 points of a 20-2 New York run, and from that point the Knicks led by at least 23 for the rest of the night. Kolek finished with 12 points off the bench, while starter Landry Shamet added 10, underlining the depth that has carried New York through this winning streak.

For the Bucks, Jaime Jaquez Jr. led the scoring with 16 points, and Andre Drummond collected 14 rebounds in just over 15 minutes of action. But Milwaukee's attack never found a rhythm against a Knicks defence that contested shots, controlled the boards, and turned stops into transition chances.

Towns chases Reed

The headline number of the night belonged to Towns, and it was a historic one. His 21 points and 16 rebounds gave him a double-double in all 10 games to open the season, making him only the third Knick ever to do so, alongside Walt Bellamy and Willis Reed.

Towns is now one double-double away from Reed's franchise record of 11 straight to begin a season, set in 1970-71. The streak extends further still: he has recorded a double-double in 14 consecutive regular-season games dating back to 1 April. Towns, 30, is second in the NBA with 13.8 rebounds per game, trailing only Sacramento's Domantas Sabonis at 14.6, and he leads the Eastern Conference on the glass. Reed led New York to championships in 1970 and 1973, and Towns can match his mark on Wednesday, when the Knicks host the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Garden.

What the win means

The context matters as much as the scoreline. The Knicks opened their title defence with three straight defeats, and the early-season questions were loud: had the championship run taken too much out of them, and could this group find the same edge again? Six wins in seven games have answered that for now. The 0-3 start is firmly in the rearview, and the Knicks look like a team that has rediscovered its identity.

The depth is the most encouraging sign. Seven players scoring at least eight points, a bench contribution from Kolek, and a starting five in which every player contributed meant that no one had to play heavy minutes in a blowout. Towns played just over 27 minutes, and the Knicks could manage their workload ahead of the Cleveland game.

For Milwaukee, the problems are deeper than one bad night at the Garden. At 1-10, the Bucks have lost seven in a row and have been outclassed in successive games. The Knicks, by contrast, head into Wednesday's meeting with Cleveland full of confidence. Towns can tie Reed's record, Brunson is in the form that earned him Player of the Week honours, and the Garden crowd has a team to believe in again.