Knicks Look to Bounce Back
Every New York starter played at least 40 minutes Friday night as the Knicks battled the host Oklahoma City Thunder. New York lost 117-107, ending its winning streak at nine games. They must recharge and regroup quickly as a visit to the Chicago Bulls awaits on Saturday night. The Knicks will be looking for a boost from their bench after being outscored 44-5 by the Thunder’s reserves.
Each Knicks starter scored in double figures against Oklahoma City, which pushed its winning streak to 14 games. Mikal Bridges led the Knicks with 24 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns had a double-double of 17 points and 22 rebounds. However, New York was outscored 37-19 in the fourth quarter.
Bulls Aim for Another Winning Streak
Chicago, meanwhile, will pivot from facing a struggling organization to hosting one of the league’s hottest teams over the past month. Aiming for their second three-game winning streak in three weeks, the Bulls sputtered in their most recent game at Washington on Wednesday night. The Wizards overcame a game-high 32 points from Chicago’s Zach LaVine to win 125-107.
Chicago had 20 turnovers and shot just 29.8 percent from long range against the Wizards. Bulls coach Billy Donovan emphasized the need for better execution and preparation.
Season Series and Key Performances
Chicago can secure the three-game season series against New York with a victory on Saturday. The Bulls edged the visiting Knicks 124-123 on Nov. 13, as Coby White swished three free throws with three seconds left to give Chicago the victory. Towns posted a double-double of 46 points and 10 rebounds to lead New York, while LaVine paced Chicago with 31 points and eight assists.
The Bulls lead the all-time series 129-118, but the Knicks have won six of the past 10 meetings. LaVine has averaged 23 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 20 career games against the Knicks, and Nikola Vucevic has five double-doubles in his past 10 games vs. them. Towns has scored at least 30 points in three of his past four games overall.
