The New York Knicks defeat the Chicago Bulls 109-104. Tom Thibodeau relied on a balanced attack from the youth and the veterans.
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The New York Knicks won their fourth straight game by outlasting the Chicago Bulls, and it took another team effort to survive an onslaught from Demar Derozan and Zach LaVine. The Knicks took the lead by halftime and pumped it to as many as 13 points in the second half. But the Bulls wouldn’t go away, as Derozan and LaVine combined for 64 points that forced a one-possession game in the final minute of action.
New York ran crunch time through the hands of RJ Barrett, Alec Burks, and Immanuel Quickley. Barrett put together meaningful possessions by repeatedly drawing fouls. Quickley closed the game with a huge assist to Alec Burks in the corner, who hit his second dagger in as many games. Also, Julius Randle iced the game with some free throws, and New York earned their longest win streak of the season.
Burks goes berserk again, Mitch makes a difference for the Knicks’ starters
Alec Burks: 27 PTS (9/19 FG, 5/10 3PT, 4/4 FT), 3 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL in 42 mins
Alec Burks started to catch fire in the second quarter and never looked back. He hit a few threes to start, followed by a few pull-up jumpers at midrange. On top of that, Burks looked comfortable attacking Zach LaVine on every offensive possession. He also benefited from kick out passes from RJ Barrett and Julius Randle.
Burks’ final three was the decisive shot of the game. Immanuel Quickley completed a crosscourt pass to Burks to knock down the dagger three to close an impressive fourth quarter and cap a fantastic game. With Julius Randle and Evan Fournier struggling, Burks stepped up as RJ Barrett’s second scorer.
While Burks’ jumper was the star of the show, he added tertiary numbers to the fold. He helped on the boards and threw a few assists inside. They weren’t the sorts of plays that leap off the screen, but they kept him productive even when he wasn’t shooting. His only drawback was struggling with the Bulls’ elite perimeter scorers. Nevertheless, Burks earns a 4 out of 5 for efficiently pouring on the points.
Evan Fournier: 5 PTS (2/10 FG, 1/8 3PT), 3 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 25 mins
Evan Fournier struggled with his jumper all night. The Bulls kept him off rhythm by closing out whenever he touched the ball near the arc. That left Fournier rushing or taking off-balance jumpers around defenders. Granted, he was able to blow past initial challenges and get into the paint a few times, which is where he found most of his success.
That success came in the form of clever passes for dimes. Fournier dropped a couple of bounce passes right across the lane where Mitchell Robinson could scoop them and dunk. The French wing’s passing helped keep his performance from being a complete disaster, considering the inefficient shooting.
I won’t fault Fournier’s effort. He tried to manufacture points, attempted scoring in different ways, and even had a nice double-team on Vucevic to force a turnover. But without his jumper and taking a backseat in the offense, Fournier struggled to be productive and saw a sharp decline in minutes by the second half. He gets a 1.5 out of 5 for his impact on a poor-shooting night.
RJ Barrett: 28 PTS (10/24 FG, 2/3 3PT, 6/7 FT), 3 AST, 6 REB, 1 STL, 1 TO in 43 mins
RJ Barrett’s highlight reel from this game is golden. The Bulls defended him well, sending waves of defenders to protect the rim. But Barrett played like a man possessed, using a combination of force and finesse to score on a series of impressive dunks and lay-ups. He skied some floaters over rim protectors and powered lay-ups through pesky guards. Despite his poor field goal percentage, a healthy dose of threes and free throws helped pump his efficiency.
Another critical aspect of Barrett’s production was timeliness. With the game winding down and the Knicks clinging to a lead, the Bulls turned to Demar Derozan and Zach LaVine for points. New York countered by putting the ball in their 21-year-old star’s hands, and he drew fouls or finished to keep pace with two of the league’s top scorers. When Barrett finally slowed down, IQ and Burks stepped up for one final possession, but RJ got them to that point.
This one felt like an exclamation point to close RJ’s leap of a season. With Julius Randle back but struggling, Barrett had to step up and guide the team to victory. He did just that, shouldering the offense when players were cold and catching his breath when either Burks or Obi got hot. The young star added a healthy dose of rebounds and assists while challenging shooters on defense (although DeRozan got the best of him on that end). Barrett picks up a 4 out of 5 for looking like a true leader against a high-caliber opponent.
Julius Randle: 5 PTS (1/9 FG, 0/4 3PT, 3/6 FT), 4 AST, 13 REB, 1 BLK, 3 TO in 28 mins
Julius Randle looked disinterested, hurt, or both throughout this game. He often hesitated to take shots and missed when he tried. Randle settled more from range than attacking the rim. He also seemed more likely to defer than in typical performances. His free throw attempts were buoyed by end-of-game possessions, and he managed to miss a couple that could have haunted New York if the Bulls hit some shots.
But to his credit, Randle at least chased down a ton of rebounds. In addition, he spent the early portion of the game throwing some nice passes to shooters. The big man still ran into trouble with turnovers, but at least he was moving the ball. The problem is that his body language looked checked out despite his teammates finding success.
Leadership isn’t just stepping up when you’re playing well, but how you carry yourself when things don’t go your way. Randle missed rotations repeatedly in the same possessions and shrugged as if it wasn’t his fault. When players dove for the ball, Randle walked off while other teammates rushed to help. He picked up a technical foul just as Chicago made a run in the third. New York’s highest-paid player threw the ball away at the end of the action and stormed toward the locker despite the Knicks picking up their fourth win in a row.
Randle’s night doesn’t reflect a leader or a star player. Instead, he looks like an unhappy player with selfish concerns while his teammates thrived. If this is how he carries himself, Thibodeau should shut him down. And with that, Randle gets a 0.5 out of 5 for his complete disinterest in this game.
Mitchell Robinson: 16 PTS (8/9 FG, 0/2 FT), 2 AST, 12 REB, 1 STL, 3 BLK in 35 mins
Mitchell Robinson overwhelmed the Bulls inside with several putbacks and second chances. Robinson grabbed offensive rebounds early and often, tallying eight by the end of the action. He continually turned tough misses into extra opportunities. Mitch was unstoppable even beyond his points and assists, including a beauty to Obi Toppin.
Robinson also controlled the paint defensively. He met players at the rim and forced Nikola Vucevic to battle for every basket. Vucevic often posted up only to kick the ball out because he couldn’t get an advantage against Mitch. This match-up has been rough for Robinson in the past, so it was nice to see him score a measure of revenge.
Some players might have flashier numbers than Mitch. But his impact was arguably the biggest in this game because he created extra opportunities and denied the Bulls at the rim. Even late in the game, Mitch avoided fouls and forced Zach LaVine to miss a few bunnies. This was peak Mitchell Robinson showing the fans why he deserves an extension. Robinson earns a 4 out of 5 for his double-double performance.
The sophomores lead the way for New York’s second unit
Immanuel Quickley: 8 PTS (1/5 FG, 1/3 3PT, 5/7 FT), 4 AST, 1 REB in 27 mins
Immanuel Quickley’s evolution might never be more apparent than it was on this 1 for 5 shooting night. He didn’t have his jumper and couldn’t get space to score inside. The Bulls had answers for his typical scoring tricks, and IQ was left hunting for free throws to score. But the sophomore still led the second unit with a positive impact even without his scoring touch.
Quickley managed to overcome poor shooting by becoming a maestro. He manipulated the defense and made quick passes to break it down. IQ picked out the right players to feed, from a perfectly timed drive and kick for Burks late to lobs inside for Obi Toppin. Quickley looked like a lead guard, able to spark offense without taking the shot or throwing the final pass of a possession. Instead, he just drove the offense and trusted his teammates to capitalize on the favorable circumstances that he created.
I’m sure that some fans will scoff at 8 points and 4 assists on poor shooting splits. But the eye test crowd ought to be buzzing at how Quickley ran this offense. He also added in some solid defense that included challenging shooters frequently. This was a good performance regardless of the numbers. IQ grabs a 3 out of 5 for his impact as a lead guard that the Knicks sorely need to close these games.
Miles McBride: 3 PTS (1/2 FG, 0/1 3PT, 1/1 FT), 3 REB in 7 mins
Miles McBride came out with a nice aggressive move for a pull-up and two points. He didn’t get many opportunities after that but never looked terrible either. McBride just didn’t get enough minutes to make much happen. He made a clever cut into space off an RJ Barrett double-team and threw a sweet touch pass to Sims. But Thibodeau pulled him after to throw in the red hot Alec Burks.
Obi Toppin: 17 PTS (6/11 FG, 3/6 3PT, 2/5 FT), 2 REB in 20 mins
Obi Toppin hit a pair of threes during his first stint on the floor. Those two shots reflect the confidence that exuded throughout this game. Toppin showed off his bag, taking advantage of the undersized fours that Chicago deploys. He sealed smaller guards, blew past bigger forwards, and posted up with a nice spin for points.
Toppin also put together a respectable defensive performance. Julius Randle struggled with his rotations throughout the game. That made Toppin’s effort and mobility stand out more than usual. He didn’t do much on the boards or stand out as a rim protector, but defensive rotations held up.
Obi’s upward trajectory continues. He got starter’s minutes for a couple of games, and his confidence is through the roof. It shows when he shoots without hesitation and as he tries out more aggressive moves off the dribble. We’re beginning to see his offensive potential for this team. Obi’s 17 points in 20 minutes earn a smooth 3 out of 5, though he could use more rebounds or assists to bolster that impact grade.
Jericho Sims: 0 PTS (0/0 FG, 0/2 FT), 2 REB in 13 mins
Jericho Sims didn’t get much going while matched up against the Bulls’ bigs. His two rebounds are a bit misleading. He created some long-rebound opportunities that became second chances for the Knicks. But other than that, he had a quiet 13 minutes.
Thibodeau finds balance for at least one night
Tom Thibodeau:
Tom Thibodeau let his youth claim victories in the first two games of this win streak, and his vets took home the third, but he used a balanced combination for the Bulls. That meant the Bulls faced Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Obi Toppin for most of the fourth. But when things got dicey, Alec Burks and Julius Randle came in with fresh legs to seal things off. While I would have liked to see Obi get more time, this strategy made sense. We’ve seen burned-out players fade often enough that I didn’t mind the move, and it worked out beautifully.
The Knicks finally closed out a victory over a high-caliber opponent. They stumbled to the finish line but managed to hold firm. I could nitpick about the distribution of minutes, but there’s no perfect approach to beating a defense like Chicago’s. I was happy to see young players take command while the vets were there to help as needed. That balance of youth and vets was perfectly embodied when Immanuel Quickley drove middle and kicked the ball out to Alec Burks for the win.
The most challenging decisions in these games have come down to rotations. Should Thibs go with his vets or give the youngsters a longer rope. We’re taking baby steps toward young players earning his trust, and that’s a massive accomplishment considering his predilection toward polished veterans. So I’m throwing Thibodeau a 3 out of 5 for adapting and letting his youngest pieces lead the way.
Closing Thoughts
I’m not interested in lingering too much on the night’s story. Julius Randle made another scene, and while it didn’t cost New York a win this time, it detracted from it. I saw the clip of him storming off shared more than any Obi Toppin dunk, Immanuel Quickley’s assist, and Burks’ clutch shot. That’s disappointing, and Randle continues to create a self-fulfilling prophecy of isolation from fans and teammates. Everyone is celebrating while he exits stage right.
I’m much more interested in how meaningful (or not) this four-game streak is. The Knicks are still highly unlikely to make the play-in, and they’ve all but dashed any hopes of moving up in the draft. But three out of four wins during this run have come against opponents that still have reasons to chase wins. The Hornets, Bulls, and Heat are quality opponents, and even the Pistons were playing well as New York arrived to win.
The significance of these wins won’t be felt in April. But we’re watching RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley learn how to take the lead. Obi Toppin and Jericho Sims are learning to play meaningful minutes. Grimes and McBride have struggled as shooters, but they’re learning to contribute without scoring. If these players show up to training camp poised to explode next season, this streak is a precursor we can look back on fondly.
The Charlotte Hornets are next with a record that feels just out of reach for New York. A win might add some wind to the play-in sails, but I just want to see how long the Knicks can stretch this win streak. Next time, we’ll see if the game has implications for the present and the future. I’ll see you there, Knicks fam!
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the 2021-22 NBA season. And in case you missed it, check out the panel’s analysis and the fan’s reactions to the Knicks’ win over the Detroit Pistons.
