NEWSLETTER
BEAT THE KNICKS (AGAIN!)
Broadcast Info
New York Knicks at Chicago Bulls (7:00 CT) on NBC Sports Chicago, 670 The Score (Audio)
Chicago Bulls
Projected Starters:
1. Coby White
2. Zach LaVine
3. Patrick Williams
4. Lauri Markkanen
5. Daniel Gafford
Injury Report: Otto Porter OUT (back), Wendell Carter Jr. OUT (quad)
New York Knicks
Projected Starters:
1. Elfrid Payton
2. RJ Barrett
3. Reggie Bullock
4. Julius Randle
5. Mitchell Robinson
Injury Report: N/A
Betting Odds
The Bulls -1.5 point favorites for tonight’s matchup against the Knicks, according to the DraftKings Illinois Sportsbook (-121 on the moneyline), the FanDuel Illinois Sportsbook (-120), and the PointsBet Illinois Sportsbook (-125).
You can sign up for each of those books below, and get yourself a nice deposit bonus in the process.
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What to Watch For
• Otto Porter will miss his fourth game of the season tonight due to an ongoing back issue. I’d look for Denzel Valentine and Chandler Hutchison to eat some of his minutes tonight, but I’d also keep my eye on a bigger role for Patrick Williams. The rookie has looked a tad more aggressive on the offensive end over the past two games, scoring double digits in back-to-back performances for only the third time this season. I’d love to see the Bulls run a bit more designed work through him this time around, especially if he finds himself staggered into the second unit even more tonight.
Injury Update: Otto Porter Will Sit Against the Knicks Due to Back Spasmshttps://t.co/KKecpqViWZ
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) February 3, 2021
• Lauri Markkanen has been the talk of the town over the past couple of days. The Bulls big man scored 30+ pointing two-straight games for the first time since 2019. He has looked far more engaged and confident on both ends of the floor, and he now has an opportunity to keep things trending in the right direction against the same team he just lit up. I know that may sound like an advantage, but teams adjust, and I expect Tom Thibodeau to have a new gameplan for dealing with The Finnisher tonight. Markkanen has to show he can adjust and, once again, outperform one of the better power forward in the Eastern Conference right now, Julius Randle.
• The Bulls finished last game tied with a season-low 12 turnovers, which is pretty darn impressive when we consider that the Knicks have played with the 8th-ranked defense in the league this season. Likewise, the team’s ball movement looked just as crisp as ever as they carved the Knicks up with 30 total assists (their 6th time reaching that mark in 19 games). If the Bulls want to pull off their second-straight win, all they need to do is look to follow that same formula.
• Daniel Gafford’s 12 points and 9 rebounds against big man Mitchell Robinson in Game 1 made for his best performance as a starter this season. Keep it up big Gaff.
• THAD YOUNG TRIPLE-DOUBLE TIME!
Get Caught Up …
LIVE: Head Coach Billy Donovan media availability prior to tonight’s game against the Knicks https://t.co/7sOrAxDwTh
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 3, 2021
Billy Donovan on Otto Porter Jr.: "He needs some time to get himself right physically."
Donovan acknowledges Porter might need more time off and #Bulls won't rush him back, but they're not ruling him out for this weekend yet. https://t.co/l5bx8fH156
— Cody Westerlund (@CodyWesterlund) February 3, 2021
Avoiding a Markkanen Slump, Get Thad His Triple-Double, Knicks Again, and Other Bulls Bulletshttps://t.co/coDQ3Dja1R
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) February 3, 2021
