New York Knicks beat the Chicago Bulls 136-96: Bullseye shooting vs. Chi

The New York Knicks crushed the Chicago Bulls by 40 points, winning 136-96. The Knicks dominated against their tanking opponent.

This game was never close. The Knicks scored 20 points before Chicago made a field goal. Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby led the way, while Karl-Anthony Towns rested, and Jalen Brunson made his return from resting a sore ankle.

With New York leading by thirty or more for most of the night, there’s surprisingly little to talk about. We know both of these teams, so the result is expected, even if the score was exaggerated. But some players took notable steps towards their peaks, so let’s check out the performances.

OG Anunoby got his jumper going last game and marked a new career-high for three-pointers this time. He couldn’t miss from three, but still found opportunities to drive and dunk on the hapless Bulls.

Anunoby grabbed eight rebounds and defended at his typical high level. It was a brilliant two-way performance, and he was the best player on the floor tonight.

The Bulls’ biggest defender was Guerschon Yabusele. Suffice to say, Mitchell Robinson feasted in the middle. He had 15 and 10 by halftime in his start. No one came close to stopping him, and he even hit his free throws.

Robinson’s defensive presence matched his offensive and rebounding impact. He continually poked the ball loose before defenders could get to the paint and challenged attempts for anyone who made it inside.

Jalen Brunson played everyone open, feeding Mitchell Robinson inside and OG Anunoby outside. He had nine assists before halftime, while getting his typical looks from the field. Against Chicago’s porous defense, I’m glad he spread the love when he could have easily played a greedier game to chase his scoring average.

He sat out the last game, so his early rest was an additional benefit of the blowout.

He’s only just returned, but Landry Shamet already looks like a difference-maker.

Every once in a while, this season, Landry Shamet tries to yam on someone, and it shocks me every time. He missed a dunk attempt on Yabusele’s head, but it was impressive nonetheless. It’s indicative of his efforts at both ends of the floor. He plays with a bit of edge that can energize the team.

Mikal Bridges’ three-pointer abandoned him, and that held back his performance. But he attacked defenders and got to the free-throw line, showing the aggression fans have been hoping for.

Bridges defended well, as usual. So, this was a good performance, but it could have been great if he’d hit his threes.

While the Knicks’ offense rolled, Josh Hart settled into a tertiary role, complementing everyone else. He didn’t have to press, but comfortably outworked the Bulls whenever there was an opening.

It felt like light work for Hart, even as he pulled down 11 rebounds and contributed across the board.

You can only take so much away from a game against a blatantly tanking opponent, but the Knicks gave their first full 48-minute effort in quite some time. That’s a small victory that I’ll happily take as the end of the schedule brings some tough opponents.

Games like this feel like a perfect warm-up before the going gets tough. It’s good to ride into Atlanta off a moment-building win. The last four games come against playoff-caliber opponents, but they’re also home games. It’s much easier to take down quality opponents in front of a home crowd.

I’m counting on New York to bring positive energy into the Garden before the playoffs officially start. I’ll see you next time, Knicks fam!