The New York Knicks will aim to secure back-to-back wins for just the second time this season when they host the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night.
New York opened its NBA Cup group play with a 111-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday. Josh Hart recorded his seventh career triple-double and his first of the season with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Despite feeling “lost” in a new-look Knicks rotation during the preseason, Hart is averaging career highs in rebounds (9.3) and assists (5.6). He has scored in double figures in every game this season, and Tuesday marked his fifth game with either a double-double or triple-double.
New York’s marquee offseason addition, Karl-Anthony Towns, saw his streak of 30-plus-point games end at three, but he still managed 21 points and 13 rebounds against Philadelphia.
OG Anunoby contributed 24 points on 11-of-16 shooting, following up his 25-point performance in Sunday’s 132-121 loss at Indiana.
The Chicago Bulls enter New York having lost five of their last six games, including a 119-113 defeat to the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. Zach LaVine scored 26 points, and Nikola Vucevic and Coby White each added 20 in the loss.
Despite building a nine-point lead, the Bulls were undone by 21 turnovers that Cleveland converted into 35 points. Chicago averages 16.5 turnovers per game, the seventh-most in the league.
Defensive struggles continue to plague the Bulls, who have allowed at least 119 points in all five of their losses during this six-game stretch. With an average of 120.7 points allowed per game this season, Chicago has the NBA’s fourth-worst defense.
New York’s defense has been inconsistent. The Knicks entered Tuesday’s game allowing 111.2 points per game but held the 76ers to 99 points, improving their defensive average to 99.2 points in victories. The Knicks have kept their opponents under 100 points in each of their last three wins.
