A rough third quarter sunk the Knicks who lost for the second time in as many days, dropping Saturday’s contest against the Chicago Bulls, 139-126.
Here are the takeaways…
-Things started off well for New York, outscoring Chicago 33-29 in the first quarter with early help from Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby. The Bulls kept pace offensively thanks to the three-pointer falling in their favor, including Coby White‘s buzzer-beating three at the end of the quarter to make it a four-point game.
-Both offenses stayed hot in the second quarter, although the Knicks didn’t shoot particularly well from deep. Instead, they did almost all of their damage inside the paint, going 10-for-12 in the second quarter alone.
Brunson was masterful finishing around the rim and was able to get to the free throw line as well where he finished 10-for-11. He had 26 points at halftime to lead all scorers, including New York’s final 10 points of the half to give the team a 72-63 lead.
–Zach LaVine finished the half strong, too, and was right behind Brunson with 20 points, doing his best to keep Chicago within striking distance.
-Things imploded in the third quarter for the Knicks. Already not playing lock-down defense (playing in the second game of a back-to-back), New York was outscored 41-17 in the third and allowed the Bulls to shoot 7-for-9 from deep. White was red hot from beyond the arc all game and finished a scorching 9-of-11 from three-point range. He and LaVine each scored 33 points.
-Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the court, New York made just seven field goals in the quarter and went 0-for-7 from deep as nothing seemed to b falling. In the fourth quarter, Karl-Anthony Towns took the reigns offensively and scored 25 of the Knicks’ 37 points. Towns had a game-high 44 points to go along with 16 rebounds (six offensive) and five assists.
-And while Towns’ offensive performance in the final frame was impressive, Chicago continued to score at will and from anywhere on the floor to keep New York at bay. Down 15 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Knicks rallied to get to within six points midway through the quarter, but that’s as close as things got thanks to the shooting clinic and offensive onslaught put on by the Bulls.
–Josh Hart played a game-high 40 minutes and while he finished with a double-double (16 rebounds, 10 assists) he only had two points.
-New York shot an ugly 26.7 percent from three-point range while Chicago shot an incredible 54.1 percent, negating the Knicks’ 49-43 advantage on the boards, including 18-9 on offensive rebounds.
-Saturday was Derrick Rose Day in Chicago as the legendary former Bull (who also spent some time with the Knicks) was in the building and honored before the game and at halftime.
Game MVP: Coby White
The 24-year-old was sensational from three-point land, breaking New York’s back time and time again with some of his shots.
Highlights
What’s next
The Knicks return to MSG to begin a five-game homestand on Monday, Jan. 6 against the Orlando Magic. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
