Julius Randle, RJ Barrett Lead Knicks to Bounce-Back Win Against Bulls
The New York Knicks bounced back from a loss to the Phoenix Suns on Monday with a 113-94 victory over the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
After losing a nine-game win streak against the Suns, it's a strong bounce-back performance for a Knicks team that continues to prove its credentials as a dark horse threat in the Eastern Conference. New York finishes April with just four losses as it clings to the No. 4 seed.
Still missing Zach LaVine (health protocol), Chicago drops to 3-7 over its last ten games and two games back of the Washington Wizards for 10th place and the final play-in tournament seed.
Notable Performers
Julius Randle, PF, New York Knicks: 34 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
R.J. Barrett, SG, New York Knicks: 22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists
Nikola Vucevic, C, Chicago Bulls: 26 points, 18 rebounds, 3 assists
Coby White, SG, Chicago Bulls: 12 points, 9 assists, 2 rebounds
Knicks Regain Rhythm
It turns out the Chicago Bulls were exactly the right opponent for a Knicks team coming off a loss.
The rebuilding club led by Billy Donovan tried its best to show up New York a the Garden but didn't quite have the manpower to get it done without LaVine. Instead, the Knicks were faced with an upstart club led by Coby White and Nikola Vucevic that had no trouble erasing an 18-point deficit.
Chicago took its first lead of the night with 7:15 remaining in the third quarter and forced the Knicks to counterpunch until the end of regulation.
Julius Randle & Co. had little trouble getting that done. After the Bulls went up 59-58, New York came back with a 12-5 run only to see their lead disappear once again by the end of the frame. So the Knicks went right back to clamping down on defense and letting it dictate their offense. That allowed New York to run up a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter and keep Chicago from closing the gap the rest of the way.
The Knicks opened the game with a 32-19 lead after the first quarter. They closed the game by winning the fourth quarter 37-19.
Playoff opponents will certainly provide tougher challenges than the Bulls did on Wednesday but following a tough loss to Phoenix and a quality comeback attempt by Chicago, the Knicks once again proved they're capable of fighting back.
Bulls On The Brink
If the Bulls are going to make a run for the play-in tournament without LaVine available, Wednesday provided a bit of a roadmap to do so.
With some more selective outside shooting, Chicago instead continually attacked the rim and dared the Knicks’ bigs to slow them down and risk early fouls. That allowed the Bulls to run up a 54-44 points in the paint advantage—though it didn’t quite result in the amount of free throws head coach Billy Donovan would’ve liked. Chicago attempted just 10 shots from the line on the night.
But the much larger issue is still the Bulls’ remaining schedule.
Chicago has the fourth-toughest schedule to close out the season, per Tankathon, with two matchups each against the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks looming alongside the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers.
The Sixers and Nets remain locked in a battle for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference—with the Bucks just 3.5 games back entering Wednesday in case both clubs hit a cold stretch. Atlanta remains in play for the No. 4 seed and home court advantage in the first round, meaning there’s hardly a night the rest of the way where a Bulls’ opponent isn’t playing for something significant.
Chicago's margin for error is as slim as it's been all year.
If the club is going to sneak into the play-in tournament, it's going to have to prove it can consistently beat playoff teams. So far that hasn't been the case.
What's Next
The Knicks embark on a six-game West Coast road trip beginning Sunday at 8 p.m. ET in Houston against the Rockets. They'll then head to Memphis, Denver, Phoenix and Los Angeles before closing the season back home. Chicago, meanwhile, returns home to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday at 9 p.m. ET.
