As he walked off the court at Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day, Giannis Antetokounmpo received the kind of ovation that's normally reserved for the home team.
"This is why New York is so special. The energy, the atmosphere is great," Antetokounmpo said after hearing the loudest cheer of the afternoon in the Milwaukee Bucks' 109-95 Christmas Day win over the New York Knicks. "They're not just cheering their team, they're cheering basketball."
Knicks fans haven't had many reasons to applaud their own team over the last three months.