Jalen Brunson scored 38 points and dished out seven assists as the New York Knicks overcame a 19-point deficit to beat the Chicago Bulls 133-127 on Wednesday night at the United Center, earning their second consecutive victory after opening the season with three straight losses.
Brunson shot 13-for-25 from the field, including 6-for-10 from three-point range, and made six free throws. His performance helped New York improve to 2-3 after Tuesday’s 111-97 win over the Detroit Pistons.
The Knicks trailed by six at halftime, 62-56, after Tre Jones made a half-court shot at the buzzer. Chicago maintained its advantage through the third quarter, entering the final period with a 96-90 lead, but New York outscored the Bulls 43-31 in the fourth.
Jordan Clarkson played a key role in the comeback, scoring 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting. During a decisive 10-2 run in the fourth, Clarkson opened the stretch with a turnaround jumper before Brunson scored to give the Knicks a 124-114 lead with 3:45 remaining.
Chicago continued to threaten late. Norman Powell’s three-pointer brought the Bulls within 130-127 with 46 seconds left, but he missed a subsequent attempt that could have tied the game. Brunson and OG Anunoby then combined to make three free throws in the closing seconds.
Anunoby finished with 23 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 19 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. Landry Shamet added 14 points, including four three-pointers, and Tyler Kolek contributed nine points and nine assists off the bench.
Towns and Shamet both briefly left the game after suffering apparent injuries in the first half. Towns appeared to hurt his left wrist in a collision with Noa Essengue, while Shamet twisted his right ankle after a dunk. Both returned to action.
Powell led Chicago with 30 points on 10-for-15 shooting, including four three-pointers. Caleb Wilson scored 20 points, Jalen Smith posted 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Matas Buzelis added 17 points. Buzelis surpassed 2,000 career points.
The Bulls shot 18-for-42 from three-point range but committed 12 turnovers and fell to 1-4, losing for the fourth time in five games. New York shot 46% from beyond the arc, making 22 of 48 attempts.
The Knicks visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, while Chicago travels to face the Boston Celtics that night.
