One night after erasing an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat visiting Houston, the New York Knicks will look to keep rolling Sunday as they face the slumping Chicago Bulls to begin a three-game road trip.
New York outscored the Rockets 33-15 in the fourth quarter Saturday to win 108-106 and earn its first victory since the All-Star break. The Bulls, meanwhile, have lost a season-worst eight in a row after falling at home to Eastern Conference-leading Detroit 126-110 on Saturday.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson credited the team’s resilience for sparking a turnaround against Houston two nights after New York’s lopsided home loss to Detroit.
“We have to continue to stay focused and just keep taking it day by day,” said Brunson, who went 4-for-4 in the fourth quarter against the Rockets, including a go-ahead jumper with 29.5 seconds left. “We can’t look ahead. We can’t take this for granted. We have to stay focused. That’s the main thing.”
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 25 points and seven rebounds, his fourth straight effort of 20-plus points.
“Today was a big day for us to build momentum,” Towns said, “build that confidence. … Finally getting those stops and having that translate to offense really changed the game.”
Ball-control issues plagued the Bulls in their latest defeat. Chicago committed 23 turnovers Saturday, as 10 of the 12 players who appeared for the Bulls had at least one giveaway.
“We’ve got guys, multiple guys, with four or five turnovers,” coach Billy Donovan said. “That just can’t happen.”
Josh Giddey scored a game-high 27 points for the Bulls, while center Guerschon Yabusele led the team with eight assists and nine rebounds.
Donovan said Anfernee Simons, who didn’t return after injuring his left wrist in the first half, will undergo imaging to determine the severity of the issue.
Chicago remains without fellow guard and recent acquisition Jaden Ivey, who will miss at least the next two weeks with an injured left knee.
Acquired from Detroit in a Feb. 3 trade, Ivey wasn’t on the injury report for Thursday’s game against Toronto. The Bulls announced Saturday morning that he would be out for an extended period.
Ivey is nearly 14 months removed from shattering his left fibula on Jan. 1, 2025. He didn’t make his season debut for the Pistons until Nov. 22.
“I don’t think he’s played at the level that he’s capable of playing at or has played at,” Donovan said. “In my opinion, he’s not moving like he once did.”
Chicago previously lost seven in a row from Nov. 24 to Dec. 7.
The Bulls and Knicks have split their last 10 games, with both teams earning home victories this season.
Chicago defeated visiting New York 135-125 on Oct. 31 before the Knicks returned the favor with a 128-116 victory at Madison Square Garden two days later.
Brunson scored 31 points while Towns registered a double-double of 20 points and 15 rebounds in the Knicks’ victory.
Giddey had a triple-double of 23 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds to go with two steals in that game.
