Knicks Defeat Bulls, Continue Their Struggles
CHICAGO — It seems the Chicago Bulls were in the mood to lose.
And the New York Knicks were more than willing to oblige.
Karl-Anthony Towns stepped up in the closing moments on Sunday, contributing seven out of the team’s final eleven points as the Knicks secured a 105-99 victory at the United Center.
With this loss, the Bulls (24-34) have now reached a nine-game losing streak, marking their worst since 2019, and it’s clear they’re spiraling toward the bottom. A few starters had limited minutes and sat out much of the fourth quarter, while key veterans like Coby White and Nikola Vucevic were traded before the deadline.
Yet, the Knicks (37-21) were still met with resistance.
The game remained uncertain until Mikal Bridges hit a corner 3-pointer with just 26 seconds remaining, following an assist from Jalen Brunson. This play allowed the Knicks to pull ahead with a six-point lead, leveraging Towns’ performance throughout the game.
Towns ended with impressive stats: 29 points and 11 rebounds, both leading for the team. He also landed five of his nine three-point attempts.
Brunson added 19 points and dished out nine assists, while Landry Shamet came off the bench to contribute 16 points.
Despite a focus on the upcoming draft lottery, the Bulls showed some fight.
Gershon Yabusele, previously out of the Knicks’ rotation and traded, started at center for the Bulls, scoring nine points and grabbing eight rebounds in the first half before finishing with 11 points and 13 boards.
At one point, the Bulls even led by eight in the second quarter and maintained a narrow lead before Towns was subbed out with under three minutes left.
The Knicks didn’t arrive under the best of circumstances. They had just played a late-night game against the Rockets, tipping off at 8:30 p.m., and then had to travel across time zones to reach Chicago.
Honestly, I think the exhaustion showed—my mind was a bit foggy, and my legs felt heavy. But despite that, the Knicks managed to pull through the second half and avoid what could’ve been an embarrassing defeat.
Towns had a notable performance against the Rockets the night before, playing with a lot of intensity.
It’s a nice development amid what has been an overall frustrating season for him, especially considering he’s voiced his dissatisfaction with coach Mike Brown’s system this year. Brown reiterated before the game that Towns’ role hasn’t changed much and that any dip in productivity is more to do with roster adjustments.
On Sunday, it was clear that Towns can still excel in this system.
“I understand we need to talk about it, and I’m open to discussions, but until the numbers reflect a change, there’s not much more to say,” Brown noted. “He’s been given chances. We don’t run a lot of specific plays. The comparison to last year doesn’t account for the fact that Mitch wasn’t around then. Now, with him and others back, the dynamic shifts, and players see fewer minutes. Naturally, less time on the court leads to fewer field goal attempts and other statistical impacts.”
