Coming off a three-game road trip that saw them lose every game, the Knicks regained their mojo with a 128-116 victory over the Chicago Bulls, bringing them to an even 3-3 record on the season.
After losing to Chicago on Halloween night in the NBA Cup group play opener, New York rebounded and handed the Bulls their first loss of the season, as Chicago had started off 5-0.
A major component of the Knicks’ first loss to Chicago was their lack of contributions from the bench. Not a single second-unit player shot over 50% from the field or reached double digits in scoring.
On Sunday night, the story was completely different. Key rotational pieces Josh Hart and Jordan Clarkson delivered their best performances of the season, while Landry Shamet and Miles McBride hit big shots from three.
Even so, Knicks head coach Mike Brown acknowledged that the team is taking baby steps forward in better understanding of “quick decisions” between passing and shooting.
“It’s going to be a process, and we’re still not where we need to be offensively. But guys are starting to understand how to space the floor,” Brown said after the game. “They’re understanding quick decisions, how to get off the ball. And you have really good understanding of those things, you can make one read. You can make a blind pass because … you’ll know someone is supposed to be there.”
In the previous game against the Bulls on Friday night, Hart played a subpar game, recording a -18 in 15 minutes with zero points, one rebound, and one assist. He came back to his signature form on Sunday, with a season-high 14 points, nine rebounds and three assists.
Clarkson was the biggest spark off the bench for New York, also with a season-high in points scored. His 15 points off the bench were highlighted by transition threes that had the MSG crowd popping.
After abysmal shooting performances in their losses on the road, the Knicks found a steady rhythm in getting the ball in the bucket. Their 20-for-42 from three was their best performance behind the arc all season. The team was perfect from the line, making all 22 of their free throws.
The starters had quality performances across the board, aside from Mitchell Robinson, who only played 13 minutes in his second game of the season. He still grabbed five boards and two blocks in his short time on the court.
Jalen Brunson continues to excel from the field, scoring 31 points along with five rebounds, three assists and a team-high four three-pointers. The Knicks captain’s scoring numbers for the season sit at 31.2 ppg (fifth in the league) on an efficient 47.8% from the field.
Karl-Anthony Towns had an efficient 20 points on just 11 shot attempts and continues to build his numbers on the boards with a game-high 15 rebounds. He still needs to tighten up in some spots on the defensive end, as he allowed Bulls bench piece Jalen Smith to score 12 points in just 16 minutes on 5-for-7 shooting. In better news, it was the first game of the season where Towns didn’t have multiple personal fouls.
OG Anunoby delivered his third 20+ point game of the season, scoring 21 on 8-for-17 from the field and 3-for-7 from three. The defensive anchor topped his performance off with two steals and a block.
Mikal Bridges had his lowest-scoring night of the season, but still contributed in other meaningful areas, dishing out nine assists for his best performance in the playmaking department so far. He shot 40% from three, going 2-for-5.
If New York can play this consistently and shoot the ball like they have the last two games, Knicks fans will have a lot less to worry about.
