The New York Knicks desperately needed a win entering Sunday, and they got one in a dominant way. They handed the Chicago Bulls their first loss of the season, simultaneously snapping their three-game losing streak, by a score of 128-116 to improve to 3-3 on the season.
The Knicks shot the lights out against the Bulls
The Knicks’ early-season woes were largely due to the inefficiency from three-point range. That changed on Sunday, and the threes came raining down on Chicago.
New York shot a blistering 20-for-42 from outside the arc against the Bulls, firing on all cylinders offensively. They turned good defense into sensational offense and lit up the stat sheet in several ways.
Everyone got involved, too, as seven different Knicks drilled multiple three-pointers. Jalen Brunson, who also led the team in scoring with 31 points, hit four threes on 11 attempts.
Josh Hart and Jordan Clarkson had huge bounce-back performances
It has been a very slow start for both Josh Hart and Jordan Clarkson this season, but both of them stepped up with big performances on Sunday.
Both players had their best games of the young season, and they made a great impact on both ends. Clarkson played 18 minutes and scored 15 points, and he shot a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. He scored 11 of those points in the second quarter and provided a big spark off the bench.
Hart, meanwhile, turned in a very solid effort with 14 points, nine rebounds, and three assists off the bench. In Friday’s game, he played just four minutes in the second half and was a -18, but he made up for it with a strong outing on Sunday that looked closer to the version of Hart that most Knicks fans are used to seeing.
Overview
The Knicks needed to get back in the win column, and this win will hopefully get them back on track as they continue their long homestand. They’ll look to stay undefeated at home on Monday when they take on the Washington Wizards in the second half of a back-to-back.