It could be deja vu all over again for the New York Knicks.
Seven days after earning the latter of consecutive victories against the Chicago Bulls, the Knicks have a chance to do so again on Wednesday night. This time, they’ll host the Bulls at Madison Square Garden after escaping from United Center with a 133-127 victory in the last go-around.
The Knicks are fresh off a 103-90 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, a final margin beautified by a 28-11 victory in the fourth quarter. New York withstood a double-double performance from old teammate Julius Randle thanks in part to sharpshooting from Landry Shamet, who had 22 off the bench on a 6-of-8 rate from the field. It was the Knicks’ 15th consecutive victory over the Nets’ extending one of the longest active winning streaks any NBA has over a single opponent.
Despite taking the Knicks to the brink in the Windy City, the Bulls remain mired in a five-game losing streak. The latest entry was a 126-107 defeat in Philadelphia on Monday, one that at least featured the consolation prize of prized rookie Caleb Wilson scoring 24 points on 9-of-17.
This will be the second of three meetings between the Knicks and Bulls this season, with the final scheduled for Dec. 1 in Chicago. The Bulls, paced by a 30-point output for Normal Powell, led by as much as 19 in the first get-together but the Knicks eventually prevailed thanks to further clutch antics from Jalen Brunson.
It was a game that saw both Shamet and Karl-Anthony Towns retreat to the bench with early injuries but Brunson picked up the pace with 38 tallies while OG Anunoby put in 23 more. Shamet and Towns recovered well enough to earn 14 points and 19 points/13 rebounds respectively in the win.
What to Know
What: Chicago Bulls (1-6) @ New York Knicks (3-4)
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
When: 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/DAZN
Who’s Favored: NYK ―12.5 (o/u: 233.5)
Keep An Eye On: Jalen Brunson
To date, Brunson’s magnum opus of this infantile title defense is his work in the comeback effort against the Bulls last week. It was the quintessential Brunson experience, a 38-point masterpiece where everything seemed to fall at the most vital points of the game (14 points in the final period that saw the Knicks complete their comeback) all while displaying the signature flair and finesse that has become his trademark.
Considering what transpired last spring, Wednesday’s windy win was child’s play for Brunson but perhaps the troubling fact is that such a performance stands out on his early ledgers: Brunson’s early shooting struggles figure to stand as perhaps one of the most concerning parts of the Knicks’ post-title tribulations, as he’s a career-worst 39% over his first seven showings. That’s obviously a small sample size but it’s also good for the worst output in any seven-game span of his career since his early days with the Knicks in November/December 2022.
Whether it was Madison magic or simply seeing Bulls/Knicks standout Derrick Rose in attendance, Brunson best resembled the form that New Yorkers have come to know and love in that game. Maybe a consistent opponent could help establish some form of consistency as the Knicks seek to stack up the W’s.
Bull to Watch: Caleb Wilson
The Chicago NBA franchise being saved by a North Carolina alum … surely that’s never happened before?
It’s getting late early for the Bulls, who might already be ready to plan for life after Norman Powell come deadline season. Barring a drastic turnaround, the lone selling point of modern Bulls basketball will be Wilson, the fourth overall pick of last summer’s draft. Wilson has lived up to the early hype, ranking in top three among freshmen in points, rebounds, and blocks per game.
It thus stands to reason that any hope of a Chicago upset will center around Wilson, who is seeking his signature NBA moment. There’s no greater stage than MSG, so the veteran Knicks will have to keep a close watch on Wilson, especially with Josh Hart sitting out of the rematch with an ankle injury.
They Said It
“He’s taking the same shots as in the past. In my opinion, he’s just missing shots. He’s taking the right shots. I think all our guys are, for the most part, taking the right shots. Right now, they’re not going in and that can be for this reason, that reason, I don’t know, and I’m not going to try to overanalyze it. As long as they keep taking the right shots, keep working on the shots, I think eventually they’re going to fall sooner than later.”―Knicks head coach Mike Brown on Brunson’s shooting struggles (h/t Jared Schwartz, New York Post)
“I’ve missed a lot of shots I usually don’t miss lately. It’s just conditioning, trying to adapt to the NBA game. But I’d say my playmaking is where I’m most happy that I’ve been growing offensively. Having that ability to make plays without turning the ball over is something that I’m really proud of. But I really hope that I can continue to grow there … I’m just a kid, so having an opportunity to play in Madison Square and TD Garden, that’s never going to not feel crazy to me. I’ve wanted to do that my whole life. So every time I go into an arena, I’m going to play to the best of my ability. I’m always going to do that.”―Wilson on his early NBA days (h/t Jeff Agrest, Chicago Sun Times)
Prediction
The Knicks take no Bull from Chicago.
Expect the Knicks to take advantage of an opportunity to make things right before a rather dangerous stretch inches them closer to Thanksgiving. There is, unfortunately for the metropolitan masses, little reason to believe that the Knicks have reached a point where they’re ready for an easy triumph, but there’s plenty on hand to handle business, even if they’re missing their heart in Hart.
