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Bucks coach Doc Rivers stated before Friday’s game that he’s more focused on his own team’s woeful record than worrying about the Knicks’ supposed growing pains so far with two new starters.
One of those acquisitions, Karl-Anthony Towns, then went out and torched Rivers’ flailing team for 32 points and 11 rebounds in 32 minutes in a thorough 116-94 Knicks victory at the Garden.
Mikal Bridges, the team’s other key summertime pickup, netted 12 of his 17 in the second half for the Knicks, who improved to 4-4 ahead of Sunday’s game in Indiana.
Jalen Brunson contributed 15 points and a season high-tying nine assists — with zero turnovers — in 32 minutes.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 24 and Damian Lillard had 19 for the Bucks (2-7).
Tom Thibodeau’s revamped squad had dropped four of its first seven after consecutive road losses earlier in the week against the Rockets and the Hawks.
“I know the Knicks’ coach and I know that he’s going to get it all together. I’m sure of that,” Rivers said before the game. “Tom’s a phenomenal coach. And they made changes. They made changes to their core guys.
“And you don’t just … chemistry is an amazing thing. They had it last year and they’ll get it back. You don’t just wake up and have it. It takes time. It will come for them, I guarantee it.”
The Knicks, of course, made significant changes to the makeup of their starting lineup and their depth due to the inclusion of Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo in the September trade with Minnesota for Towns.
They also acquired Bridges from the Nets, but they lost starting center Isaiah Hartenstein via free agency and have been without injured center Mitchell Robinson to open the season.
Towns obviously is more offensive-minded than last year’s centers, and the four-time All-Star is averaging 24.3 while shooting 55.6 percent from 3-point range in his first eight appearances.
Still, the Knicks also have sacrificed offensive rebounding — one of last year’s strengths — and interior defense with those changes in personnel.
“Good and bad,” Thibodeau said when asked about the Knicks’ defensive metrics. “There’s a long way to go. We know we’re not going to get there in a day and we’ve got to concentrate on daily improvement and we need to shore some areas up.”
Towns nailed four of his first five from the floor — including three straight from long distance — as the Knicks grabbed an early 11-point lead en route to a 32-25 advantage through one quarter despite an 0-for-5 showing from the floor by Brunson.
OG Anunoby buried a 3-pointer and Towns drove the lane for a dunk to extend the cushion to 50-37 midway through the second.
The Knicks led by as many as 19 before halftime, including Anunoby picking off an errant pass by Antetokounmpo and feeding Brunson for a layup.
That marked Brunson’s lone bucket among seven shot attempts through two quarters, but Towns finished the half with 27 points as the Knicks carried a 66-47 lead into intermission.
Bridges nailed a couple from downtown and Brunson netted eight in the third, and the Knicks’ lead was still 19 before pulling away in the final period.
