NEWSLETTER
I’m gonna say it: The Bulls Knicks rivalry is back.
I was ready to make the call just 5:08 into the first quarter. After the Knicks came out and punched the Bulls in the mouth with a 16-6 start, head coach Billy Donovan called a timeout and lit a candle under his team’s ass (metaphorically … I think).
The Bulls came out on an 8-0 run to quickly chop the Knicks’ lead to just 2. They did it behind two quick scores from DeMar DeRozan, a pick and pop two from Nikola Vucevic, and a Zach LaVine slam off the Lonzo Ball feed. In other words, they did it thanks to their star-studded starting lineup, which showed many of the same kind of encouraging flashes tonight as it did against the weaker competition last week.
With that said, as the game went on, the Bulls began to look like the new team they happen to be. The Knicks were a significant upgrade from the opponents the Bulls faced over the first four contests, and they played like it down the stretch. New York eventually grabbed their largest lead of the night with just 2:59 left to go. They did it with a level of physicality and defensive awareness that this Bulls team had not yet experienced. However, with another test slammed on their desk, the Bulls showed us they were up for the challenge.
The Bulls broke out a 12-0 run from the 2:13 mark to the final 9.4 seconds. Once again, contributions from LaVine, Vucevic, and DeRozan got the team back in the game. DeRozan was then handed the opportunity to send New York off with its second L, but the shot was off the mark.
Yes, I wish the team got a better look, but I still walk away from this game only feeling better about the direction of this team. Not only did they show real fight with their backs against the wall, but they looked the part in a matchup against a legitimate playoff team on national television. I don’t know about you … but I think that’s pretty damn encouraging.
Check out the full box score here.
