New York Knicks: Who stepped up in overtime win against Bucks?

Emmanuel Mudiay

Stat Line: 28 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 10-for-18 shooting, 4-for-5 on three-pointers

Before the season started, New York Knicks general manager Scott Perry said Emmanuel Mudiay was in “elite shape.” It didn’t seem like much, since the latter’s issues were with shooting and turnovers in his first three NBA seasons.

Maybe the weight loss meant something after all, unless Mudiay has just evolved as a player in Year Four.

Mudiay delivered his second 25-plus point performance, with 28, three rebounds and seven assists on 10-for-18 shooting. A handful of late-game three-pointers have him four for the night. The 35 minutes played were also a season-high and just the second time he crossed 30 minutes in a game this year.

It was as clutch of an outing as the Knicks have received. Mudiay hit a three-pointer to tie the game in the final minute and continued the torrid run in overtime.

With Burke’s injury and Ntilikina’s spot at the bench’s end, the point guard job is Mudiay’s. Fizdale hasn’t declared anyone the starter, but the Republic of the Congo native stat line won’t deter his odds, with 11.1 points on a career-high 46.4 percent shooting.

Some duds have arisen in between, but the positives stick out and represent an improvement from two-plus underwhelming seasons with the Denver Nuggets and 2017-18’s 22-game run.