Game Day Preview: Bulls at Knicks, and a Shot to Get Back to .500

A week ago we needed a 19-point comeback in Chicago to beat these guys. Tonight the 1-6 Bulls come to Madison Square Garden riding a five-game losing streak, and the 3-4 Knicks should win this one. Tip is 7:30 PM ET / 6:30 PM CT, per ESPN, and DraftKings has us as 12.5-point favorites, per ESPN's odds. We lead the season series 1-0 after that 133-127 win on Oct. 28, and it's time to get back to .500.

I'm not overlooking Chicago, but the trend is ugly for them. Their last outing was a 126-107 loss in Philadelphia on Monday, where Tyrese Maxey scored 15 of his 26 in the fourth quarter, per the AP. Rookie Caleb Wilson, the No. 4 pick, led the Bulls with 24 that night, and he's averaging 21.6 a game, per ESPN. Josh Giddey runs everything at 7.9 assists a night. One thing they do have is rest: they've been off since Monday, so there's no back-to-back excuse either way.

Don't let them get comfortable from deep

The matchup I'm watching is our wings against Chicago's shooters. On the season the Bulls are shooting just 28% from three, per ESPN's team stats, but they hit 18 of 42 against us last week, and Norman Powell went for 30 on 10-of-15, per the box scores. That's on us. I want Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby out there together, using their length to run Powell off the line. Bridges played 13 minutes in Chicago and 16 against Brooklyn, per the box scores, and a night like this is a chance for him to get his rhythm back.

The rest of the numbers lean our way. The Bulls are giving up 128.9 points a game and turning it over 17.3 times, while we're allowing 105.1 and pulling down 47.0 boards a night, per ESPN. Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 13.9 rebounds by himself. Last week we scored 44 in the paint and hit 22 threes, per ESPN and NBA.com, and that inside-out balance is the formula again: Cat spacing out at the five, Jalen Brunson (24.6 a game, per ESPN) attacking, and the bench that scored 41 in Chicago, per SNY, keeping the pressure on.

Who's hurting, and where to watch

Here's the NBA's official injury report as of 12:00 PM ET:

• Knicks: Josh Hart (right ankle soreness) is questionable.
• Bulls: Nic Claxton (left hamstring strain) is questionable, and Jalen Smith (left finger sprain) is probable.

Hart's the one I'm sweating. He was a team-best plus-22 with seven assists and three steals in 27 minutes against Brooklyn, per the ESPN box score. Jose Alvarado isn't on today's report.

ESPN doesn't list a broadcast for this one. Sports Media Watch lists MSG and DAZN in the Knicks' market, CHSN in Chicago, and NBA League Pass for everyone else, so check your local listings to be sure.

If you missed Monday's 25-5 fourth-quarter blitz against the Nets, catch up with our Morning After: https://knicks365.com/blog/knicks-nets-recap-25-5-fourth-quarter-15-straight-3-4. Now finish the job, make it two straight over Chicago, and get back to even.