The Chicago Bulls are off to an undefeated start on the season, but many expected their Cinderella run to be dashed tonight by the New York Knicks. Instead, the Bulls are not only standing tall against the Knicks but dominating them en route to a 19-point lead at halftime. The Bulls have continued to play to their strengths and shown they can succeed against any team.
The Bulls are leading the Eastern Conference favorites
The Bulls have won so far this season with a strong defense. Despite their offense being subpar, the defense has been a pleasant surprise and held opponents to low efficiency shooting while winning games. So far, they have done more of the same against the Knicks and made points hard to come by.
The Bulls' defense has been categorized as lucky due to uncharacteristically poor three-point shooting from opponents. But they’ve held their own against the Knicks even when New York was hitting outside shots. For the half overall, the Knicks shot 38 percent from three and still find themselves in a big hole.
At the same time, the Bulls' offense has come back to life, led by Josh Giddey. Giddey is on his way to stardom and making a loud statement in this game. He’s up to 21 points, six rebounds ,and four assists while looking absolutely unstoppable. His scoring aggression has always been the missing piece for his offense, and now it’s here for good.
The Bulls have gotten great contributors from others, too, notably Ayo Dosunmu. Coming off the bench, Dosunmu has done all the right things to win. He leads the game with a plus-25 in his minutes. He’s made the most of his opportunities by shooting 5-of-6 from the field for 13 points early.
The NBA Cup has been a great coming-out party for young teams in its first two seasons. The Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder finished as the first two runners-up before meeting in last season’s Finals. Now, it could be the Bulls’ turn to make their presence felt through the midseason tournament.
The Bulls are starting the season hot and carry that momentum all the way through to the NBA Cup knockout stage in Las Vegas. Success in the Cup will give them a chance to measure themselves against the best of the East and play in high-stakes games before the playoffs. For a young core lacking in postseason experience, it will be a great opportunity to mature and build for the rest of the season.