NEW YORK (AP) — Bucks coach Jason Kidd sees better things in the future for the New York Knicks.
Zaza Pachulia had 16 points and 14 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks handed New York its 11th straight loss, 95-82 Sunday night.
"It's tough," Kidd said. "The league is not easy. It's tough every night no matter what the record is. As a young team we can't take anyone for granted. They're going to get healthy and be better than what their record is."
Tim Hardaway, Jr. had 17 points for the Knicks (5-31), who lost a franchise-record 10th straight home game. They are one overall loss from matching the team's 1985 record for most consecutive losses.
"Losing isn't enjoyable in any way shape or form," coach Derek Fisher said. "From an emotional stand point, you just have to continue to manage what you can manage, what you can control."
The Knicks played without Carmelo Anthony (sore left knee), Amare Stoudemire (sore right knee), Andrea Bargnani (strained right calf) and Iman Shumpert (dislocated left shoulder).
By the end of the fourth quarter, there were chants of "Fire Fisher!"
"It'll turn for us, it just doesn't look that way right now," Fisher said.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Milwaukee (18-17).
"We play hard and we're a team not built on one guy," Kidd said. "We're built on everybody doing their job and understanding their role and doing it as hard as they can."
Antetokounmpo thought Quincy Acy's dunk with 3:27 remaining in the second quarter was a turning point.
"I got mad, I'm not going to lie, I was mad," Antetokounmpo said.
"It was kind of a dangerous play because the crowd got in the game as well and we were up only a couple of points," Pachulia said.
It was Acy's dunk that reminded Pachulia and the Bucks that the Knicks should still be taken seriously despite their woeful record entering the game.
"We had a speech actually before we went on the court," Pachulia said. "It doesn't matter who we play against. We have to play hard every single night."
The Bucks were up 45-38 at the half and took control in the third. They were up by 13 four minutes into the quarter and the Knicks never got closer than 10 the rest of the way.
After an 11th straight loss and only one win in their past 22 games, the shorthanded Knicks are reeling more than ever.
"We're motivated just to try and get a win," Cole Aldrich said. "That's our biggest thing right now. We've dropped a number in a row and we're just trying to get back on our feet."