Knicks Fall Short Against Bulls in Halloween Matchup

CHICAGO — The Knicks showed up in full spirit for Halloween, but the night ended in disappointment as they fell 135-125 to the Bulls on Friday. The game’s progress mirrored its unpredictability, featuring a shaky start, a strong third quarter, and a faltering finish.

Despite welcoming back Mitchell Robinson and Deuce McBride to the lineup, the Knicks seemed to struggle significantly, being on the defensive for most of the game.

In the fourth quarter, the Knicks made a spirited effort, narrowing the gap to just two points. However, things took a turn for the worse in the final moments, as Chicago regained control, ending the last three and a half minutes with a 15-9 run. Karl-Anthony Towns, who had a solid game, missed three open three-point shots during this stretch but still finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 29 points, yet he took 25 shots to get there, which didn’t help prevent their third straight loss.

The Knicks, now at 2-3, again struggled to get any valuable contributions from their bench, as the Bulls’ reserves outscored them 53-21. Josh Hart appeared to be struggling, possibly due to back issues or the lingering effects of his surgically repaired finger. Rookies Gershon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson continued to miss out on playing time.

Conversely, the Bulls, who remain unbeaten after five games, along with the Sixers, are proving to be the surprising highlights of this early season. Josh Giddey excelled with 32 points, showcasing his skills and leading the offense effectively. They play an exciting brand of basketball, featuring ball movement and efficiency that the Knicks are desperately trying to replicate.

Basically, the Bulls are what the Knicks aspire to be—youthful and dynamic. Despite having a seemingly ideal rotation, with Robinson at center and McBride off the bench, it didn’t translate into success.

Robinson played a limited 20 minutes, contributing 11 rebounds and just four points, appearing as if on a minutes restriction, although his coach asserted otherwise. Meanwhile, McBride ended his night with only eight points, struggling in what could be considered his worst performance this season, with the team getting outscored by 22 points during his time on the court.

At least the Knicks are healthy.

“You always want to be at your best. This is a marathon. This is a process,” said Brown. “There’s still a lot of room for growth. So having everyone on the floor just gives us more opportunity to get some continuity. We want that as much as possible.” It was the first time, perhaps, that they enjoyed this level of health consistently.

This loss wraps up a rough 0-3 road trip for the Knicks, who will face the Bulls again at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Being part of the NBA Cup adds another layer of pressure, making it a struggle to advance in their group.

Yet, the Knicks have more significant concerns than just the in-season tournaments. Brown is eager to build a formidable offense that instills fear, but clearly, a lot of work lies ahead. So far, the Knicks have played better when the pace slows, as evidenced in Friday’s third quarter, where they managed to trim a 19-point halftime deficit to just two points.

And then, well, the Bulls took control once again.

“I’m more worried about us than our opponents,” Brown mentioned. “If you can excel at what you do and believe in your capabilities, you can compete at the highest level. It’s all about us—if we take care of the ball and adhere to our principles, we can counter anybody’s tempo, whether we choose to play fast or slow. We do want to play quickly, though we aren’t at that speed yet. But we won’t adjust every time opponents match up against us. We want them to adapt to us.”