A valiant comeback effort was wasted by the New York Knicks in the final seconds Wednesday, losing at home to the Chicago Bulls by a score of 124-123. Josh Hart fouled Coby White on a three-point attempt with the Knicks up by two with four seconds left in regulation, and White knocked down the ensuing free throws that would ultimately win them the game after Jalen Brunson’s buzzer-beating shot would fall halfway down and out.
New York now falls back under .500 to go to 5-6 on the season while the Bulls improve to 5-7. The Knicks continue to struggle to find some consistency, and while there are some positives to be taken away from this game, it is clear that they have a handful of problems that need to be addressed.
Missed free throws came back to haunt the Knicks
Karl-Anthony Towns had a magnificent game for the Knicks, as he scored a season-high 46 points on six threes and grabbed 10 rebounds. However, he missed four free throws that would prove to be the difference maker. Overall, the Knicks shot just 66% from the free throw line while the Bulls were able to knock down 81% from the charity stripe.
Towns was spotted on the court shooting free throws in full uniform following the conclusion of the game. Towns has been the Knicks’ most dominant player this season and has now scored at least 30 points in four of his last five games. On the season, he is now averaging 26.5 points and 12.2 rebounds on 54% shooting from the floor and 51% from three.
Knicks’ poor defense allowed the Bulls to build a sizable lead
The Knicks looked like a team that was playing the second night of a back-to-back. Through the first three quarters, they played with little energy and could not keep up with the Bulls’ energy and quick pace. The Knicks found themselves trailing by 22 points late in the third quarter before they would go on a 17-0 run to close out the third quarter and significantly close the gap.
On the night, the Bulls shot 54 % from the floor and 39% from three. They killed the Knicks in transition, as they scored 26 fastbreak points compared to the Knicks’ 14. A valiant comeback effort led by an unsung hero in Cameron Payne helped provide a spark, but it was ultimately not enough to secure a win that was well within reach.
Payne finished with 11 points and a team-high three steals in 16 minutes of action and shot 4-for-4 from the field (3-for-3 from three). Mikal Bridges also helped lead the comeback effort with 10 of his 20 points coming in the third quarter, but poor defense from him all game long was the catalyst, as Bulls’ star Zach LaVine erupted for 31 points on 12-for-17 shooting.
The Knicks’ comeback effort was inspiring, but they are still struggling to close games out
The Knicks’ 22-point comeback was their largest of the season and was an inspiring one considering that a lot of it occurred with Brunson sitting on the bench. New York carried multiple leads in the fourth quarter, including by as much as three during the fourth quarter.
However, once again the Knicks couldn’t hold onto a lead late and were unable to pull away when they had momentum. They missed several opportunities to run away with the game, and too many small but key mistakes defensively cost them once again.
New York has a ton of talent and will eventually find their footing as they continue to build chemistry. However, they have to improve defensively, or else they will continue to be stuck in the mud hovering around .500. They will have the chance to bounce back from this crushing loss on Friday when they take on the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden.