NEW YORK — In an exciting overtime clash, the New York Knicks managed to narrowly defeat the Chicago Bulls with a score of 113-111 on Thursday night. Karl-Anthony Towns was instrumental in the victory, scoring 32 points and gathering 18 rebounds. Jalen Brunson also made a significant contribution, finishing with 22 points and 12 assists for the Knicks.
Miles McBride added another 22 points, while Mikal Bridges recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. This game marked the Knicks’ first contest after the All-Star break and was a successful outing, bringing their record to 36-18. New York is currently on a three-game winning streak, having won nine of their last eleven matches. They faced this game without Josh Hart due to discomfort in his right knee and OG Anunoby, who is sidelined for the sixth straight game with a sprained right foot.
For the Bulls, Josh Giddey had a standout performance, posting 27 points and 16 rebounds, while Nikola Vucevic contributed 21 points. Unfortunately for Chicago, this defeat extended their losing streak to five games. In a critical moment during the game, Vucevic had a chance to secure a win for his team with just two seconds left in the fourth quarter; however, his shot was denied by Bridges right under the basket.
In overtime, Giddey kicked things off with a 3-pointer, but the Knicks quickly responded with a 9-0 run that featured three consecutive baskets from Towns. Chicago fought back and narrowed the gap to 113-111 with contributions from Colby White, but they couldn’t capitalize on a last-second opportunity when Vucevic missed an 8-foot jumper as time ran out.
Regarding notable moments from the game, Jalen Smith of the Bulls was forced out early in the first quarter due to a facial injury. For the Knicks, Precious Achiuwa made his mark by scoring 11 points and grabbing nine boards.
A pivotal moment occurred late in the fourth quarter when Vucevic hit a 3-pointer to put the Bulls ahead 104-102 with only 50 seconds remaining. Brunson responded with a smooth stepback jumper to tie the game. Amidst the tense atmosphere, a kickball call on the Knicks led to Vucevic receiving the ball under the basket, but his attempt at a game-winning shot was blocked, preventing a Bulls victory.
In terms of performance, Towns had a rough start, shooting only 2 for 15 in the first half for a mere six points, but turned things around spectacularly, scoring 26 points on 12-of-15 shooting in the second half and overtime.
Looking forward, the Knicks will take on the Eastern Conference front-runners, Cleveland, on Friday, while the Bulls are set to host Phoenix on Saturday.
