On Friday night, the New York Knicks faced the Milwaukee Bucks once again, and Jalen Brunson delivered another outstanding performance to secure the win. This has become a familiar pattern over the years: whenever the Knicks take on the Bucks, Brunson elevates his game and consistently dominates. Regardless of the defensive plans Milwaukee employs, Brunson manages to find ways to score effectively.
Brunson’s ability to score in large volumes against the Bucks is not unexpected given his versatile offensive skill set. He excels in attacking the paint, making deep jump shots, and drawing fouls, all of which contribute to his frequent high-scoring games against Milwaukee. After scoring 27 points on an efficient 64.4 percent shooting last Friday, Brunson is currently averaging 33.3 points per game with a 58.7 percent shooting rate against the Bucks this season.
Looking at past seasons, Brunson maintained impressive numbers against Milwaukee, averaging 29.5 points at 55 percent shooting in 2024-25 and an incredible 37.2 points shot at 52.9 percent during five games in 2023-24. Across his entire NBA career, his average of 25.7 points per matchup against Milwaukee is higher than versus any other team. The Bucks have struggled to find a solution to contain him, leading to speculation that Brunson approaches these games with extra personal motivation.
Milwaukee’s Defensive Challenges to Contain Brunson
The Bucks have tried multiple defensive strategies to limit Brunson’s impact, often assigning different guards to cover him. This season, even their top defenders have failed to consistently stop Brunson’s offensive bursts. Ryan Rollins, considered Milwaukee’s top guard defender and an emerging two-way talent, has allowed Brunson to shoot 71.4 percent (5-of-7). Similarly, the Bucks’ larger, stronger Kyle Kuzma has seen Brunson convert 75 percent of his shots (3-of-4) while guarded by him.
No defender has managed to slow Brunson down as effectively as Jrue Holiday once did. During the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, Holiday, known as one of the league’s best perimeter defenders, held Brunson to a frustrating 21.4 percent shooting rate (3-of-14). Holiday’s blend of physicality and basketball intelligence proved difficult for Brunson to overcome. However, with Holiday no longer on the Bucks’ roster, Milwaukee faces an ongoing challenge in finding a defender capable of replicating that level of success against Brunson.
Future Outlook for Bucks and Brunson Matchups
After a promising February, the Bucks may meet the Knicks again, potentially in the NBA Playoffs, where Brunson is expected to continue being a key factor. Outside of a possible postseason encounter, Milwaukee will not face Brunson again this year. Nonetheless, his sustained offensive excellence against the Bucks underscores an ongoing problem for Milwaukee’s defense as they look toward future adjustments.
Jalen Brunson’s consistent ability to exploit the Bucks defensive schemes highlights a critical matchup challenge for Milwaukee, raising questions about how the team will adapt moving forward to counter his scoring dominance.
