The streak is over. 82-0 is no longer on the table.
It was always going to be tough to take both in the home-home double-feature against the New York Knicks, but this wasn’t particularly competitive. New York wins it 128-116, as the Bulls fall to 5-1.
The Bulls struggled to win key areas of the possession battle — turnovers, free throw attempts and offensive rebounds — that they need to win to give themselves a chance against more talented teams. The Knicks had two more offensive rebounds, double the free throw attempts (22 to 11) and three fewer turnovers.
On top of that, it didn’t help that the Knicks were absolutely on fire from beyond the arc, making 20-of-42. Heading into the game, opponents were shooting just 30 percent on threes against the Bulls, and that includes the Knicks, who shot 18-of-45 (40 percent) against them on Friday. They were due some regression to the mean, and it snowballed out of control on Sunday night.
Josh Giddey did his best to spur the Bulls’ offense, and he did finish with a triple-double of 23 points, shooting 52.6 percent from the field, adding 12 rebounds and 12 assists, but was overtasked with creation, and there just wasn’t enough around him to keep the Bulls’ offense flowing.
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Up next: Bulls host the Philadelphia 76ers (5-1) on Tuesday. The winner will remain atop the Eastern Conference standings.
The Bulls have made good use of their guard depth, even without Coby White to start the season. But with Ayo Dosunmu (quad contusion) missing the game, ball handling and shot creation were severely missed in Sunday’s rematch with the Knicks.
In a perfect world, Billy Donovan likes to have two lead guards on the court at the same time to share the creation duties. If defenses pick Giddey up full court, he can hit the ball ahead to Tre Jones to get the team into their early offense. If help cuts off a Giddey drive, he can swing it to Dosunmu on the opposite wing to attack a tilted defense. All that dribble penetration has made the Bulls a difficult matchup for their opponents.
More than anything else, this game highlights the importance of Dosunmu and White being featured members of the Bulls’ rotation. — Will Gottlieb
We knew (or at least some of us did) that the Bulls’ opponents weren’t going to shoot ~26 percent from three-point range all season. You can point to that being one of the reasons for their 5-0 start without discrediting all the good things they’ve done on both ends of the floor. But it is what it is. And the Knicks were scorching on Sunday night.
The Bulls did their best to keep up, having a respectable shooting night themselves. The Knicks just had more firepower. That, plus a sizable edge at the free-throw line, will make it tough to win on any night.
Another reason the Bulls’ undefeated streak ended at five? The absence of Dosunmu. That Bench Mob is much less formidable without his offensive creation, hustle buckets in transition and another competent defender on the floor. Let’s hope this quad contusion doesn’t cause him to miss more games. This team needs him badly to function in the best ways that work for them. — Matt Peck
I’m upset that I have to say nice things about the Knicks. But I’m fair. (Suck it, Knicks.)
NY came out en fuego from three. Jalen Brunson was on a clear mission, and you can tell he was set on making a statement. 19 in the 1st quarter for the Stevenson High School standout.
Giddey led the charge for the Beloved. He continues his excellent play, putting up big numbers. He has really stepped into the leadership rol,e especially on offense.
Ayo was clearly and sorely missed tonight. When they needed a bucket in the paint, they struggled to find one, especially off the bench. Get well, Ayo. Team needs you.
‘Red Velvet’ is quickly becoming one of my favorite players on the team. I didn’t realize how strong the ‘goon’ was in him. His hair is red for a reason. — Big Dave
