The Milwaukee Bucks play host to the New York Knicks at Fiserv Forum on Friday.

The Knicks (23-26) are really struggling right now, entering this matchup losing five of their last six games. That stretch has dropped them below .500, and it's looking like it's going to be an uphill battle to reach the postseason. The simple fact is, these players are not performing up to expectations. After an All-Star season last year, Julius Randle has regressed to the guy that the Lakers didn't want. He's not the only one, though, with Kemba Walker being one of the most inconsistent players in the NBA as well. Those two were expected to run the show for the Knicks this year, and they're going to continue to struggle unless both of those guys start playing better.

The Bucks (30-20) come into this matchup winning three of their last four games, but it's overshadowing an otherwise disappointing stretch. In fact, Milwaukee has a 5-7 record over their last 12 games in total. That's a shocking stretch from the NBA champs, but it's their second such stretch of the season. It's hard to put a finger on what the issue is either because this club is almost fully healthy for the first time all season. In any case, the Bucks still sit near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, and a short winning streak could bump them right to the top. There's also some talk that Brook Lopez could return from his back issue soon, and he's the final piece to the puzzle from the 2020-21 champs.

These teams have already played three times this season, with Milwaukee winning two of three. All of them were lopsided results, decided by 12 points or more in each.