The New York Knicks (18-14) will look to return to their winning ways when they take on the Chicago Bulls (12-18) for the third time in a week on Friday night. This time, they take things to Madison Square Garden in New York.
The Knicks played the Bulls twice last week, both games in Chicago, and went 2-0 against them, with the first win being an overtime thriller and the second being a blowout that was all but over in the early stages of the fourth quarter.
- Key Knicks reserve is ready for 2024 NBA Playoffs
- Knicks among favorites to land All-Star forward this offseason
- Knicks: JJ Redick criticizes ‘preposterous’ CBA rule that stripped Donte DiVincenzo of MIP award eligibility
New York is coming off of a heartbreaking 113-106 loss against the Toronto Raptors that saw them snap their season-high eight-game winning streak.
The Bulls, meanwhile, are coming off of a resilient 113-103 victory over the Miami Heat, which ended their recent skid, but the team has been in major headlines across the league in recent days, as reports have suggested that tensions are skyrocketing surrounding star shooting guard Zach LaVine, with one report stating that there was a “strong exchange” during halftime of the Bulls’ embarrassing 150-126 loss to the Timberwolves this past Sunday.
Therefore, the Knicks will be going up against a team that has been in severe turmoil behind closed doors, and given the two losses Chicago suffered at the hands of New York last week, the Bulls will almost certainly come out fierce, looking to make a resounding statement against a Knicks team that has won eight of its last ten games.
The guy, the Knicks, will turn to in hopes of shutting down the Bulls on Friday will be point guard Jalen Brunson. Brunson will be looking to bounce back in a big way, coming off arguably his worst performance as a Knick – scoring just seven points and committing five turnovers on Wednesday.
In the two games against Chicago last week, Brunson torched the Bulls by averaging 26 PPG, 6.5 APG, and shot 51.4% from the field and a staggering 60% from 3. He will be looking to replicate those performances on Friday.
Follow this writer on Twitter @DylanBacker_ for more Knicks coverage.