The Chicago Bulls extended their winning streak to two games with a nerve-wracking 119-115 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic carried the scoring cudgels for the Bulls, who moved to within a game of leaders Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference standings.
Bulls' Big 3 takes over in fourth quarter
The Bulls' Big Three took control in the payoff period, with all of Chicago's points in the fourth quarter coming from DeRozan, LaVine, and Vucevic. DeRozan scored 18 of his game-high 34 points in the fourth quarter to help the Bulls quell the Knicks' second-half uprising. He scored the Bulls' final six points that sealed the win against the Knicks.
LaVine and Vucevic each scored 27 points for the Bulls, who improved to 15-8 for the season. They were exceptional to start the game, helping Chicago build a 37-19 advantage at the end of the first quarter. The Bulls extended that lead to as high as 21 points in the second quarter before settling for a 69-51 advantage at halftime.
The New York Knicks refused to concede, staging another furious comeback in the third quarter. They started the third quarter with a 27-10 run to cut the Bulls' lead to just one point. Immanuel Quickley provided the much-needed spark off the bench for the Knicks, who were missing the services of RJ Barrett (illness) and Nerlens Noel (sore knee).
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Late errors by Randle doom Knicks' comeback bid
The Knicks took the lead in the fourth quarter, but their comeback bid was undone by the erratic play of Julius Randle down the stretch. Randle missed a couple of free throws and committed a costly turnover that led to two points for LaVine on the charity stripe. Randle finished the game with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, but it was his mistakes in the closing stages that fans will remember the most in this Eastern Conference matchup.
It was another disappointing defeat for the Knicks, who dropped to .500 for the first time this season after starting the campaign 5-1. One of the main reasons behind the Knicks' dip in form is their poor play at MSG. They have won just five of their 12 games at home this season.
The Knicks grabbed headlines recently when head coach Tom Thibodeau decided to kick out star guard Kemba Walker out of New York's rotation because of his subpar performances. Thibodeau's decision has not paid dividends thus far, with the Knicks losing both of their games since Walker's exile.
Next up for the Knicks is a clash with the injury-plagued Denver Nuggets. The Chicago Bulls, on the other hand, will next face the Brooklyn Nets in a battle of the Eastern Conference's top two teams.
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