The Chicago Bulls fell 133-127 to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night, blowing a 19-point third quarter lead and surrendering 43 points in the fourth. Although the game culminated in a disappointing loss, the Bulls’ resilience was evident, and provided a hopeful glimpse into what the team’s culture is becoming under head coach Tiago Splitter.
The Bulls battled back late
A lot of teams would have folded after letting a 19-point second-half lead over the defending champs become an 11-point deficit with just 3:17 remaining. But the Bulls kept fighting. A barrage of three-pointers combined with much-needed stops gave them a chance to tie late—and although Norman Powell’s deep three in the final 11 seconds didn’t fall, Chicago’s rebuilding squad showed real character down the stretch.
With a little under three and a half minutes left, Jalen Brunson broke Powell’s ankles and drilled a triple to extend the Knicks’ lead to 11. The shot felt like a dagger, but the Bulls promptly advanced the ball down the floor. When Matas Buzelis attacked the baseline and picked up his dribble below the basket, Caleb Wilson wisely relocated to the corner, leading to a kickout and a three. After a couple of blocks by Jalen Smith led to a Knicks shot clock violation, Josh Giddey knocked down a trey to cut the deficit to five.
Then things got ugly again.
On the next possession, New York’s Jordan Clarkson missed from outside, but Josh Hart snagged a crucial offensive rebound. In the aftermath, Jalen Smith got stuck guarding Jalen Brunson: not a favorable matchup for Chicago. As Bulls head coach Tiago Splitter shouted at his team (presumably Caleb Wilson, who was the closest off-ball defender) to send a double-team at Brunson, the Knicks’ closer rose up and nailed a clutch three, sending Chicago’s Zach Collins into visible frustration on the bench.
With just 99 seconds left in the game, the Bulls’ failure to respond to a severe mismatch had pushed their deficit back up to eight. Surely that was the true dagger.
But not so fast...
Matas Buzelis quickly drew a foul and hit both free throws, cutting it to six. Chicago responded defensively, immediately double teaming Brunson and forcing a Josh Hart three late in the shot clock. He missed, but Brunson pulled down yet another offensive rebound for New York. The Bulls responded yet again, forcing the ball out of Brunson’s hands. When Josh Hart missed a 15-foot floater, Jalen Smith secured the rebound. As Josh Giddey weaved his way up the court, the Knicks lost Smith in the proverbial sauce, and Giddey found him. With 46 seconds remaining, Smith hit nylon from deep, and the Bulls trailed by just three points.
Needing a stop, Chicago got fortunate when New York center Karl-Anthony Towns couldn’t convert down low. But as proven just a few moments prior, a stop isn’t a stop until the defense gets the rebound; a group of Bulls stormed the glass, and it was Giddey who ultimately snatched the board.
The Bulls had given themselves a shot
After all the road bumps—a blown lead, a late hole, a defensive lapse, and multiple defensive rebounding failures—the Bulls still had an opportunity to tie the game or cut their deficit to 1. And even though what followed was Norman Powell missing and the Knicks closing out a win, Tiago Splitter’s group gave the Knicks all they could handle. Most importantly, they put on display the competitive spirit and mental toughness that are foundational to any championship organization.
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