The New York Knicks will officially welcome in an unexpected guest on Black Friday.
Prior to their Friday night fracas with the Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video), the Milwaukee Bucks announced that Giannis Antetokounmpo will take the floor at Madison Square Garden.
Antetokounmpo has missed each of the Bucks’ last five games after leaving November 17’s loss to Cleveland early with a groin injury. The Bucks (8-11) have struggled in his absence, having dropped each of their last six amidst a free fall down the Eastern leaderboard.
A longtime presence in the metropolitan rumor mill, Antetokounmpo scored 37 points in the first showdown before the Knicks and Bucks this season, a 121-111 win for the latter in Milwaukee.
The return of Antetokounmpo is another subplot of Friday’s game, which will help form the knockout bracket for the 2025 NBA Cup.
The Knicks (11-6) can clinch the group they share with Milwaukee with a win, but have no way to secure a wild card. The Bucks, the in-season competition’s defending champions, will need a win and help to secure a wild card and protect their Vegas-based title.
