11:32 p.m. ET Jan. 6, 2017  MILWAUKEE - Jason Terry leaped onto the scorers table, celebrating wildly. The end of a playoff series? No. The end of the game even? No. In the middle of the third quarter of a regular season game between two middling teams on a frigid night in Milwaukee? Well, sure.

In Terry’s defense it was a celebration of a series of highlight reel plays from the Bucks that couldn’t have worked this well in practice with no defense on the court. But then again, at times the Knicks defense looks like it isn’t there at all.

But after giving up more than 30 points in each of the first three quarters the Knicks held the Bucks to just 15 in the fourth quarter, reversing the plot line of Wednesday’s loss to the Bucks and escaping the Bradley Center with a 116-111 win Friday night.

The victory snapped a six-game losing streak and provided a bit of warmth for the Knicks as they headed across the Midwest to Indiana to finish the quick road trip Saturday night. The Knicks were lifted by Ron Baker, who played the entire fourth quarter, a timely shot by Carmelo Anthony, who led all scorers with 26 points, and a furious hustle play from Lance Thomas.

“It feels good to get this skid off our back and get back the feeling of what winning feels like,” Anthony said afterward, his feet in an ice bucket and ice packs wrapped around his right shoulder, left elbow and both knees. “More importantly, on the road the way that we did it, down 14 and to come back on the road was important for us.

“Winning is hard. Winning is difficult, especially when you’re on a losing streak. You start losing games different ways. Things don’t go your way, the ball don’t bounce your way. Tonight was a situation where we fought throughout the course of the game. At the end of the game we wanted it more.”

Wednesday the Knicks never let the Bucks take the lead in the second half until the final play of the game. The Bucks never trailed after the first quarter this time until the final minute. Up 111-108 with 1:51 left the Bucks committed a 24-second violation and Courtney Lee hit one of two from the line. When Giannis Antetokounmpo misfired on a 15-footer, the Knicks finally moved in front with Anthony delivering a three-pointer with 51.1 remaining for a 112-111 lead.

Thomas then dove on the floor to steal the ball from Antetokounmpo, Baker scooping it up and feeding ahead to Lee for an uncontested dunk and a 114-111 Knicks lead with 27.1 remaining. An ill-advised three-point attempt by Mirza Teletovic gave the Knicks the ball and Baker hit a pair from the line.

“Major minutes. Big minutes,” Anthony said of Baker. “One of the biggest reasons we came up with this victory tonight. For him to not play the whole game and not even play lately in any game and for him to come in and play major minutes and be a big part of what we were doing out there. He showed something tonight.”

Baker, who hadn’t played at all in the first three quarters - or at all in the last game and just 2 minutes and 59 seconds over the last eight games - provided an unlikely spark. He started the fourth quarter, which seemed like Jeff Hornacek looking ahead to Saturday night. But Baker never left the floor - keeping Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings on the bench - as he led the way on the night before his contract would become fully guaranteed.

“Ron is just a heady guy,” Hornacek said. “I thought the huge play was when the shot clock started to run down, he drove in there and threw it to (Kristaps Porzingis) for a little short 15-footer on the baseline. Those are plays that you don’t get panicked that the shot clock is running down, that you just drive in there and kick it to the next guy and give them an easy shot. Ron was great.”

“To be in a game that’s tight like that it gets the nerves going a little bit,” said Baker, who had six points and two assists without a turnover. “But to get this game under my belt and get my first true win as an NBA player when I’m in the game, it feels good.”

Terry’s celebration came late in the third quarter after he led a fast break, leaving a lob behind him in the lane for a streaking Jabari Parker, who slammed it home with one hand. The Bucks seemed to be running the Knicks out of the arena and extending their losing streak, but somehow, the Knicks defense changed.

Trailing by as many 18 points in the first half and 13 to start the fourth quarter, the Knicks pulled within one, 96-95 just 2:40 into the fourth quarter when Anthony hit a three-point to cap a 12-0 run.

Anthony brought the Knicks within one again with a pair of free throws with 8:28 remaining, but as has been the case too often, the three-point line was wide open. Terry passed up an open three, instead dishing it to Tony Snell in the corner, who knocked the shot down. After Terry stripped Kyle O’Quinn in the lane, Parker sank a three from the top of the key and the lead was back to 104-97 with 7:28 remaining.

Porzingis, who had 24 points in his return after three games off, hit a three-pointer and then blocked a layup by Antetokounmpo - and delivered a three-pointer from even farther out to cut the lead to 104-103 with 6:36 to play.

An offensive foul on Terry gave the Knicks the ball with a chance to take their first lead since the first quarter. Anthony misfired and then missed again with Joakim Noah tapping it out on both shots to keep the possession alive. But Porzingis missed this time and Antetokounmpo converted a jumper over Porzingis on the other end.

Noah dunked to cu the lead back to 107-105, but was called for his sixth foul on the other end, fouling out with 3:58 remaining and sending Greg Monroe to the line where he converted both for a four-point Bucks’ lead.

Just like the Bucks couldn’t get over the hump for much of the fourth quarter Wednesday - not until the final buzzer - the Knicks couldn’t quite pull even for much of the fourth quarter on this night. Anthony, with a chance to tie the game, missed one of two from the line and the Knicks were down, 109-108. Anthony then had a layup swatted away by Antetokounmpo. And when the Bucks raced down the other way Porzingis fouled Antetokounmpo, joining Noah on the bench with his sixth foul with 2:44 to play.