FINAL FROM NEW YORK:
Knicks 125, Bulls 115 (Bulls: 20-40, 8-21 on the road)
LEADING SCORERS: Bulls: LaVine: 26pts Knicks: Robinson: 23 pts.
LEADING REBOUNDERS: Bulls: Carter: 9. Knicks: Randle and Robinson each with 10.
LEADING ASSISTS: Bulls: Satoransky: 7. Knicks: Payton: 10.
STAT OF THE NIGHT: The Knicks scored 76 points in the paint.
RECAP: First, the good news....the Bulls welcomed the return of two injured players as Wendell Carter Jr. and Denzel Valentine saw action against the Knicks. Carter Jr. started and played just over 18 minutes collecting six points, nine rebounds, and a block. It was his first appearance since going down with an ankle injury, January 6. Valentine played ten minutes and tossed in eight points.
The Knicks came into the game averaging 106 points per contest but set the tone early establishing a presence with lobs to the rim for big man Mitchell Robinson who slammed down seven of his 11 made field goals. Robinson scored a career-high 23 points and posted a double-double with 10 boards. Julius Randle also registered a double-double with a 22-10 game. The Knicks owned the glass, outrebounding the Bulls 50-33. The Bulls shot a very respectable 46% from the field and 49% from three-point range but got bullied inside throughout the night. Zach LaVine and Coby White once again carried the Bulls combining for 48 points. The Bulls trailed by four points with four minutes left, but New York went on a 9-2 run to put the game away.
The Bulls have now lost 10 of their last 11 games as opponents are averaging 120 points per game in that span.
UP NEXT: Home with Dallas Monday.
24 SECONDS NBA NEWS AND NOTES:
Houston 111, Boston 110 OT: Russell Westbrook scored 41 points and James Harden added 21 as the Rockets won their sixth straight. Jaylen Brown sent the game into OT with a straightaway three-ball.
Atlanta 129, Portland 117: 3 Hawks starters (Collins, Young, and Hunter) each scored 20 or more points as the Hawks won back to back games. Trae Young finished with 25 points and 15 assists.
Miami 116, Brooklyn 113: The Nets are in a major free fall dropping their fourth straight.
Memphis 105, Los Angeles Lakers 88: Ja Morant with a monster game of 27 points and 14 assists as the Grizzlies snapped a five-game losing streak and lead New Orleans by 2.5 games for the eighth and final playoff spot. Morant became the second rookie in NBA history to have a 27-14 assists game against the Lakers. The other? Oscar Robertson. Jonas Valanciunas was magnificent with a 22-20 game.
Indiana 113, Cleveland 104: T.J. Warren scored 30 points as the Pacers won their fifth game in their last six outings.
San Antonio 114, Orlando 113: The Spurs ended Orlando's three-game win streak.
Golden State 115, Phoenix 99: The Warriors end an eight-game slide. Seven Warriors scored at least ten points.
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