Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied 30 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Bucks to a 109-95 victory over the Knicks on Christmas Day. Antetokounmpo went 5-of-6 from the floor during Milwaukee’s massive third quarter run.

The Bucks outscored the Knicks 36-22 in the third quarter after going into halftime with a two-point lead. Antetokounmpo tallied 11 points in the period to lift Milwaukee after a sluggish first half.

Malcolm Brogdon added 17 points and three steals and Brook Lopez chipped in with 20 points of his own to support Antetokounmpo’s effort. Milwaukee, uncharacteristically, shot 18.8 percent from 3-point range, but managed to bully the Knicks in the paint area in the second half. The Bucks are third in the league in points in the paint this season, according to NBA.com/stats.

Kevin Knox, New York’s promising first-round draft pick, scored 21 points on 8-of-20 shooting. He consistently found ways to attack basket and did not force any shots early, but couldn’t keep up the pace in the second half. The Knicks have to be encouraged by his performance despite the loss.

The Bucks improved to 23-10 after the victory and remain near the top of the Eastern conference. When Mike Budenholzer was brought in to elevate the team after a series of first-round playoff exits, this is what Milwaukee was hoping for. The Bucks entered Christmas Day’s matchup with the franchise’s best 32-game start to a season since the 1990-91 campaign and they kept that momentum going with an easy victory over New York.