MILWAUKEE — Mohamed Diawara got the call Friday and took advantage.
The rookie, who has been alternating rotation spots with newcomer Jeremy Sochan, returned to his pre-All-Star break form with 10 points, hitting 2 of 3 treys in the Knicks’ 127-98 win over the Bucks.
Diawara was a game-best plus-25 in just 22 minutes, and the strong performance arrived after three straight games of sparse playing time.
In those games, Sochan had risen above Diawara to ninth in the rotation. It’s an important position because coach Mike Brown typically plays nine guys.
On Friday, Diawara was ninth.
“Everybody [has been telling me to stay ready],” Diawara said. “Everybody, for real: the players, the staff. … First year, I’m a rookie, so everything is not going to be great. So I just have to stay ready and wait until my name gets called.”
Sochan, who has struggled in his limited opportunities since signing as a free agent, had two points and two rebounds in five garbage-time minutes Friday.
“Those guys are like 10th and ninth guy, however you want to call it,” Brown said. “I’ll make the call as we go along, but everybody has to make sure they keep themselves ready.”
Karl-Anthony Towns has been rumored in trades to Milwaukee since the summer.
It’s a product of, among other things, his salary matching perfectly with that of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Depending on how this season shakes out and whether Antetokounmpo hits the trade market, Towns’ name could resurface.
He claimed he paid no attention — and won’t in the future — even after being shocked by being dealt to New York by Minnesota in 2024.
“I’m not going to have to change how I live and how I approach work, how I approach life because of one instance,” Towns said. “That’s just a bump in the road. I continue to be myself regardless of what people say, what the noise is. I’m going to work on my game. I’m going to continue to be who I am as a person.
“I’m going to approach life the way I approach it. It’s gotten me this far. It’s gotten me a beautiful fiancée, a great family that’s all healthy and happy. I mean, it’s done well. It doesn’t always need to just be about basketball. It’s gotten me well in life. It’s kept me centered. It’s kept me focused. It’s kept me engaged and motivated to continue to attack every day with the same competition and competitive spirit.”