Knicks’ OG Anunoby scores 20 points in fourth to beat Bucks

MILWAUKEE — While a lot can change in the final weeks of the NBA season, it has begun to look as if the Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks are likely to meet in the first round of the playoffs. But what was on display on Friday night at Fiserv Forum might provide little hint of what is to come.

The Knicks were down to their fourth option at point guard. Milwaukee was missing Damian Lillard and Bobby Portis.

But for the Knicks it was another step forward, completing a season sweep of the Bucks with a 116-107 win.

The victory pushed the Knicks hold onto the third seed to a three-game lead with nine to play and the Bucks dropped behind Detroit into the sixth spot.

Milwaukee certainly hope to have its key pieces back in place alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo when the playoffs start. The Knicks, meanwhile, will update Jalen Brunson’s status in the coming days with the expectation that he, along with Deuce McBride and Cam Payne, will be back soon.

The takeaway from this one was that they survived without their three point guards, getting solid play from the four remaining starters and enough of a contribution from a pair of little-used backups to fill in well enough to earn their first win over a team with a winning record without Brunson.

Delon Wright, who had played just 36 minutes for the Knicks since coming from the Bucks in a trade deadline deal for Jericho Sims, got the start and scored 10 of his 12 points in the first quarter, providing a defensive spark and hustle on both ends.

“A veteran, been in the league a long time, had a number of different roles,” Tom Thibodeau said previously of Wright. “Defensive-minded, good size. He’s got a lot of experience. I think he’ll do a good job.”

Wright jumped past rookie Tyler Kolek in the pecking order after Kolek had picked up minutes in recent games as the injuries mounted. And while the two of them might not come close to combining to provide what Brunson does, they managed to do the job and help the Knicks get the win.

Wright and Kolek weren’t alone as the much-maligned Knicks bench not only got the contributions at the point, but Landry Shamet scored 13 points and Mitchell Robinson had 10 rebounds in the first half.

But it was the starters who did much of the work. OG Anunoby scored 20 his 31 points in the fourth quarter, while Mikal Bridges added 26 points. Josh Hart had 13 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists and Karl-Anthony Towns had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Knicks saw a 17-point first-half lead cut to just two midway through the third quarter, but had an answer. They pushed the lead back to 81-73 entering the fourth quarter when Anunoby took over. A steal and a pair of free throws, followed by a three-pointer and then a dunk off a pretty feed from Kolek started the run and the lead grew to 16 in the fourth.

While Kolek didn’t get his first NBA start a day after his 24th birthday, it still was an interesting showcase for him.

Kolek spent his first morning in his newly-expanded role working out at the shootaround at Fiserv Forum. If he looked up, he’d see banners in the rafters of the arena for the retired players and titles won by Marquette, including Big East titles he helped earn.

Just a year ago, he was part of that heritage, a key piece leading the team to the NCAA Sweet 16.

Even if Kolek didn’t get the start on Friday night, he was faced with the biggest role of his young career. But what got him the honors at Marquette — Big East Player of the Year two years ago, All-Big East last year — is what had him ready to step in Friday night as the Knicks faced the Bucks without Brunson, McBride or Payne.

“I usually say it’s confidence,” Towns said of what the challenge might be for most players in this situation. “But it’s not something for him. He’s very confident in what he does.”

“Out on the floor, if you’re the point guard, you have to command the team, have a certain way about you, certain leadership qualities helping these guys out,” Kolek said. “Because you’re commanding men, at the end of the day. They’re looking to me, even though I’m a rookie, they’re looking to me like ‘what play are we running? What are we doing here?’ Just being confident with that stuff and being assertive.”