The Knicks didn’t need long to answer the noise around their shaky start. After dropping three of their first four, they’ve now strung together two straight wins, and Wednesday’s 133-127 road victory over the Chicago Bulls felt like another step in the right direction.
Jalen Brunson was the headline again. He put up a game-high 38 points, added one rebound, seven assists, two steals and no blocks, and did it while shooting 52.0% from the field. OG Anunoby chipped in 23 points, six rebounds and one assist on 43.8% shooting, while Karl-Anthony Towns supplied 19 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and one steal on 50.0% shooting.
Chicago had its own big scoring nights. Norman Powell finished with 30 points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal on 66.7% shooting. Caleb Wilson added 20 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals on 38.9% shooting, and Tre Jones gave the Bulls 11 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal off the bench.
The Bulls took a six-point lead into halftime, and for a stretch it looked like the defending champions might be headed for another uncomfortable night. Instead, New York flipped the script in the fourth quarter, where it poured in 43 points and outscored Chicago by 12 to close the game. Brunson was the driver, with 14 of his points coming in the final period as the Knicks erased a 19-point deficit.
That late surge wasn’t an accident. It fit the pattern New York has built around itself, where the game can look messy for long stretches and still end with the Knicks in control once the pressure rises.
There was also a clear concern in the box score: Mikal Bridges kept struggling. He entered the game averaging just 5.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game on 2.3% shooting for the season, and the issues continued against Chicago.
Bridges played only 13 minutes, scored three points on 25.0% shooting and finished at minus-5. Mike Brown pulled him early, and the performance did little to ease the questions around his play.
The bench, though, gave New York a lift. Jordan Clarkson led the second unit with 18 points, three rebounds, one assist and two steals while shooting 66.7% from the field.
Landry Shamet followed with 14 points, one rebound, five assists and two blocks, and he hit four of seven from deep. Tyler Kolek didn’t score much, but his nine assists and zero turnovers in 18 minutes stood out.
For a team built around a star-laden starting five, that kind of production from the reserves matters.
And then there’s Brunson, who may not have opened the season with eye-catching numbers - 22.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.8 blocks per game on 36.6% shooting - but looked every bit like the player New York needs him to be. He attacked from deep, going 6-for-10 from three, and got to the line as well, finishing 6-for-8 there. If this version of Brunson becomes the norm, the Knicks have a serious case to make him part of the early MVP conversation.
In Other News...
Knicks Could Catch A Huge Break Against The 76ers
The Knicks may get an early edge in Friday nights meeting with the 76ers if Philadelphia is forced to shuffle its rotation. Jaylen Brown has been listed as questionable on the NBA injury report because of left knee soreness, a notable development for a team that has counted on him every night so far this season.
If Brown is unable to go, it would be his first absence of the year and a late change the Knicks would surely welcome as they prepare for the 7:30 p.m. EST tip. Even before the game begins, the injury report has put a little extra weight on what should already be a meaningful divisional matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Sent A Clear Rotation Message In Stunning Comeback Win
The Knicks' latest comeback against the Bulls offered more than just another win to celebrate. Down by 19 and headed for trouble early, New York flipped the game behind a deeper rotation look from Mike Brown, who leaned on reserves Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet for a combined 41 points and 15 assists while Jalen Brunson carried the scoring load with 38 points.
It also came with a notable shift in how Brown managed veteran forward Mikal Bridges, whose playing time was noticeably trimmed as the bench earned more trust. Karl-Anthony Towns still supplied 19 points and 13 rebounds despite a brief injury scare, but the broader takeaway was hard to miss: Brown is willing to make tough rotation calls, even in a tight game, and the Knicks may be starting to show a different kind of depth because of it. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Just Put Karl-Anthony Towns Under A Massive Contract Test
Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks are working through an extension conversation that already says plenty about how both sides see his place in New York. Towns is reportedly looking for a deal north of $225 million, while the Knicks have come in closer to $200 million, a gap that leaves room for both leverage and uncertainty as the sides try to line up on a long-term number.
For New York, the bigger issue may be what happens over the course of this season. Towns value to the roster is not really in question, but the front office appears intent on using the year ahead as part of its evaluation, which makes his performance more than just a nightly storyline. The result is a contract situation that feels less like a formality and more like a test of how far the Knicks are willing to go for him. [Read more 🡒]