CHICAGO — The Knicks had better hope their legs were just tired Saturday night.
Otherwise, losing pace to the Bulls is a symptom of an even bigger problem than their lack of depth.
On the second night of back-to-back games after a heartbreaking loss to the Thunder, the Knicks fell flat in the third quarter in a heartbreaking 139-129 loss to the Bulls.
It was the first consecutive loss since early November, as defense became an option after halftime, which was extended in honor of Derrick Rose.
The Bulls (16 wins, 19 losses) gave up 41 points in the third quarter and 76 points in the second half. The Knicks (24-12) had plenty of points, with Karl-Anthony Towns scoring 44 points and Jalen Brunson dropping 26 of his 33 points in the first half.
But Chicago shot 54 percent, Zach LaVine and Coby White each scored 33 points, and the defense disappeared.
Brunson, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges all played at least 40 minutes the previous night in OKC, but spent most of the fourth quarter on the bench as the Knicks tried and failed to fight back after returning starters.
Towns left for the locker room with 1 minute and 34 seconds left, clutching his thigh.
There was no immediate information on possible injuries.
The third quarter was the story.
It was a terrible mess for the Knicks, who missed seven treys in seven attempts. A nine-point halftime advantage turned into a 15-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, and Tom Thibodeau's team never recovered.
Like Friday in OKC, Thibodeau kept an eight-man rotation and his bench was outscored 31-17 by Chicago.
The Knicks' starting lineup looked gassed, but Bridges' 33 minutes put the Knicks up by 21 points and overwhelmed them.
Josh Hart scored just two points in 40 minutes and missed all five of his field goal attempts.
In short, it was a night of celebration for a Bulls franchise that hasn't celebrated much in recent years.
Another reason is Derrick Rose Knight, who brought the NBA's youngest MVP back to the United Center with a series of video tributes, guest appearances from former teammates like Luol Deng, an extended halftime show and more. I was disappointed.
The highlight was a moving 10-minute speech by Joakim Noah (also a former Knick, albeit unforgettable) that brought Rose to tears.
It was intentionally scheduled to coincide with a game against the Knicks, who not only have Rose on the roster twice, but are also coached by longtime sideline general Thibodeau.
“That's very natural, and I wonder what it's for.” [Rose] It means what it means to the city, what it means to the Bulls, what it means to the NBA as a whole,” Thibodeau said. “I had a chance to coach against him, so I know how difficult it is, but I was lucky enough to coach him. You could see the fear and respect and his ability to do his best when he needed it, in big games, in playoff games, in meaningful games. He took it to another level and did it against the best and was very genuine.”
On Saturday, the Knicks played defense as if they were trying to protect Prime Rose. And the entire game felt like the result of not having enough depth to handle an exhausting back-to-back.
All of the Knicks' starters played at least 40 minutes in the 117-107 loss to the Thunder, the first time this has happened in the regular season since 2013.
The Knicks lost to the Bulls. NBAE (via Getty Images)
Thibodeau saw his lead shrink from eight to two points, called a timeout three minutes into the fourth quarter, reinserted his starters, and let them play the rest of the game.
He doesn't trust the bench, which was expected.
The Knicks used up a lot of resources to build an elite starting lineup, leaving them with a combination of a second-round rookie, Bird Rights in Precious Achiuwa, and zero cap space on the bench.
The upside is that the starters have been more successful than expected and have become more cohesive by spending so much time together on the court.
The downside, however, is that the Knicks aren't built to withstand injuries, including Miles McBride's hamstring strain and leg fatigue from starting.
