The Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks face off Wednesday night in a game that both teams should be considering must win. The Bulls are trying to chase down the Washington Wizards for a play-in tournament spot while the Knicks are in a tight race that could see them land anywhere from third to seventh in the Eastern Conference.
The Bulls should be playing with a sense of urgency, but that has proven elusive even as the season winds down. They will be hoping to carry the momentum from a bounce-back win against the Miami Heat into this game.
The Knicks are coming off a loss to the Phoenix Suns. That is their only loss in the last ten games they have played. A much better stretch than the Bulls have had over that time going 4-6.
Former head coach Tom Thibodeau leads the Knicks into the third matchup between the two teams with the season series tied one game apiece. Thibs has had the Bulls number since he left Chicago, a trend the Bulls desperately need to end with the importance of this game.
Zach LaVine will remain out for Chicago, continuing his extended absence at the worst possible time. The Bulls have so far been unable to find a consistent rhythm without their star player despite having one remaining all-star active in Nikola Vucevic.
Things don’t get much easier for the Bulls as they face the hot Knicks. The motivation of the Knicks trying to overtake the Bucks for third in the East leads one to believe they will not be slowing down anytime soon.
In a very important game for both teams, there a few players on both rosters that fans should keep an eye on in this one.