NEWSLETTER
In shockingly rare fashion, the Chicago Bulls were looking out for me tonight! I’m spending my Friday night with a few long-time buddies. One went to Iowa, so we’re obviously boarded up at a nearby bar to sweat over this Final Four matchup.
With that in mind, the hope was that I didn’t have to be too locked into this one.
Ayo Dosunmu set the tone from the jump. He repeatedly attacked the Knicks’ backcourt off the dribble and ended up scoring 12 of the team’s first 18 points. He ended the first quarter with 15 total and paced his team to a 29-17 advantage.
New York was just struggling to get anything to fall, partially thanks to an energized Bulls defense and partially thanks to some tired legs after playing the Sacramento Kings less than 24 hours prior. They would be shooting just 36.2 percent by the time halftime rolled around, while the Bulls looked more than comfortable with a 52.2 percent clip.
Speaking of energy, Javonte Green brought his usual flare. Recently signed to a full-time contract, he looked like a player with the most to prove. Green scored 17 points in the first half on 7-8 shooting from the field. He was beating New York in transition and sneaking underneath the basket for some easy finishes. Was it the most impressive offensive showing? No. But it was a perfect example of the opportunities his relentless hustle and effort can create.
Down 61-45 heading into the locker room, the Knicks were at least able to catch their breath. Jalen Brunson was still looking like a clear-cut All-NBA player, and the Bulls started to slow down. The Knicks won the third quarter 31-20 and started to make it a game.
As the fourth quarter got underway, I definitely had concerns the Bulls would let things fall apart. The Knicks were playing more confident basketball, and they were getting some good contributions from Miles McBride off the bench. But they still didn’t have a DeMar DeRozan! The Bulls’ closer did what he does best and helped keep the Knicks at arm’s length. Nikola Vucevic also hit a HUGE bucket with 1:33 left to push the Bulls lead to 106-98. You could tell both teams knew this was the dagger.
Again, I want to tip my cap to the Bulls for making this a rather simple victory. They outworked a team on short rest and played pretty well-rounded basketball. The only real problem is that both Coby White and Alex Caruso were forced to leave the game with ankle injuries. I’m crossing my fingers that neither will turn into a long-term issue. The Bulls can’t afford to lose either this close to the Play-In Tournament.
Check out the full box score here.
