New York got right the way good teams usually do: slowly, then all at once. Brooklyn led 79-75 after a 35-point 3rd quarter at the Garden, then managed 11 points in the 4th on the back end of a back-to-back, and the Knicks won 103-90. Jalen Brunson had 24 and 6 assists, Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 and 12, and it came right after a Cup loss in Philadelphia. Holding a team to 11 in a quarter is a very different look from the 133 they gave up in Chicago.
The 1st meeting is the best tape for Wednesday. The Bulls scored 127 at home and still lost by 6, so the offense can keep up with this team for stretches. The problem is that putting up 127 and losing is the best version of Chicago anyone has seen. Brunson and Towns can trade baskets all night, and the Bulls have yet to string together the 3rd and 4th quarters it would take to steal one.
Nic Claxton is the name to watch. The veteran center strained his left hamstring in training camp and hasn't played yet, but he was a full participant in practice ahead of the Philly game and got upgraded to doubtful before he was ruled out, per Hoops Rumors. If he makes his Bulls debut at MSG, Chicago finally has a real rim protector behind Wilson and a body to throw at Towns. Even then, a center playing his 1st game of the season isn't going to fix a team that has given up 124 or more 7 times in 7 games.
Tip is 7:30 PM ET on Wednesday, November 4. The Knicks are home and their 2 stars are rolling. The Bulls have a rookie who refuses to accept any of this and a roster that hasn't backed him up yet. The board isn't up, but the questions are clear enough: does Claxton play, and can Chicago defend for 48 minutes for the 1st time this season?
