Last-Minute News, Rumors, Reports before New York Knicks Chicago Bulls Game

The New York Knicks may be NBA champions, but after starting the season 1-3, fans were writing the obituaries. They were finding people to blame, talking about the ring night hangover, the Mikael Bridges slump, the Karl-Anthony Towns contract fight, and the owner drama. And fine. Here are the numbers that nobody else is showing you, though, on why the Knicks are about to go on a winning streak, why we're about to see the NBA champions back. in their flow and why it starts tonight in Chicago against the Bulls. Yes, it's the second out of a back-to-back in a game the Knicks won against the Pistons last night, and we're going to deal with that too because the record says 1-3, but the lineup data says the Knicks starting group just had its best offensive game since their NBA Finals run, and the team that they play tonight has been outscored by 75 points in the first and third quarters combined, which helps the Knicks in a way that, again, no other channel is going to tell. So, we're going to tell you about it on Nick's Digest. I just want to give a quick word from Calci as well. Calci is the best place to go if you believe the New York Knicks are going to win the 2027 NBA Finals. They have a 9% chance on Calci to do so right now. And if you were to trade $25 on it, you can get over $250 in a max payout boost. Right now, I do want to thank Cal State for sponsoring this video, because on Cal State, you're trading directly against other users, not the house like traditional sportsbooks. You're buying yes or no contracts on the outcomes of events across sports, politics, and even the weather. For example, the Knicks winning the NBA Finals, which I already said, the chances on Cal State are excellent. If you want to trade on the Knicks doing that, you are set up huge. And I do mention $25, because guys, When you trade your first $25, if you're interested in trying out Calci, well then, you can get $55 if you click the link in our description. It's also in our pinned comment down below. And sign up for Calci using code DIGESTNBA. It's a great deal for you. $55 when you trade your first $25 is excellent. It also helps the channel out a bunch also. But guys, here's the thing that fans and channels alike about the Knicks are not telling you about this team. We might be in the age of overreaction, but the record is lying to you, and the proof is how that starting group has actually played. In the first three games, the Knicks starting group was outscored by 7.3 points per game. That is a net rating of minus 25.4. That is the number that everybody quotes, if they quote one at all. Then, last night against Detroit, the starters played 16 minutes and 29 seconds together and put up a 137.5 offensive rating on 62.9 true shooting. They outscored Detroit 44-33 in those minutes and held them to a 96.8 defensive rating. That is their best offensive rating since Game 1 of the Conference Semifinals against Philadelphia in May against the Pistons team, who has been damn good to start the year. And a 16-minute sample, I know. But the first time that group looked like itself, it looked like that. It looked like a championship unit. There's Mikael Bridges. Through three games, he was 0 for 10 from three. And with him on the floor, the Knicks had an 89.6 offensive rating and a negative 26.1 net rating. Last night, he had his first four threes of the season, scored 12 points, and the Knicks were plus 17.2 with him on the floor, over 64 possessions. And before that game, Coach Mike Brown stood by him. He said Bridges got three or four wide open threes against the Celtics and quote, he has to keep shooting. He also said he was not changing the starting lineup. One game later, that call looks very smart. And a viewer saw it coming. We saw Dominic Mezapel, 4-2-5-2, wrote under our last video. Maybe they set some plays for Mikael Bridges to get him going. Also, played Tyler Kolek to keep the ball moving. And well, Bridges got going and Kolek was moving the ball. On top of that, we saw Karl-Anthony Towns fully unleash himself in this game, having 27 points in... 20 rebounds against the Pistons. 19 of those points came from the first half. It was his 17th career game with 20 points and 20 rebounds and his first since early February when he started to bounce back from his struggles. And here's the part that nobody will tell you. In an earlier game this month, Towns had 19 rebounds on 12 for 20 shooting. That is one of only three players in NBA history with 15 or more rebounds and 60% shooting on 10 or more attempts per game. The last to do it was DeMontis Sabonis, the best rebounder in basketball on October 24th. The Knicks trailed by 13 after the first quarter. They then outscored Detroit by 27 over the final three quarters. 111-97 was the final score, their first win of the season. And watch Andre Drummond, man. 14 minutes, 10 points, 8 rebounds, a 45.5 offensive rebound rate with him on the floor, and the Knicks were plus 56.5 net in his minutes. Tiny sample, 28 possessions, but he's exactly what a Bulls team that gets out-rebounded all the time needs to see coming. Allen 1841, if he said before the tip, I'm not worried and we will beat the Pistons today. Allen, you were spot on about that and nobody had to play hero ball. Brunson played 36 minutes and Ananobi played 35. Bridges and Towns played 32 and the Knicks looked like that NBA Finals winning team once again with Drummond also playing the role that Mitch played. Then there's Jalen Brunson, the Finals MVP, the greatest Knick of all time. He had 23 points and seven assists in 36 minutes Clinching Game 5, we all know he scored 45 points. Nobody on this roster has forgotten about that. Josh Hart had five steals and made his 303-pointer as a Knick, tying Al Harrington for 23rd in franchise history. OG shot three for 12 and scored seven points, and the Knicks still won by 14. That is the part that should worry Chicago. A starter had an ice-cold night, and it did not matter. A man who's viewed as a fringe all-star, in fact, as well. But then there's also the other side of things. The Bulls are also 1-3, and their problem is the opposite of New York's. According to Cleaning the Glass, Chicago is the best shot profile in the league. Their expected effective field goal percentage by shot location is 56.1%. Their actual effective field goal percentage is 46.7, 29th in the NBA. They're taking 42 threes a game and making 23.8% of them. Could that bounce back? Sure. Shooting like that usually does. That's the risk. And I'm not going to hide it from you, especially when they have a guy like Buddy Heald, one of the best shooters in history on that team. But look at when the Bulls lose games. Through four games, they've been outscored 136-88 in the first quarters and 155-109 in the third quarters. That's a combined amount of 75 in two quarters. And they're the two quarters, they're plus 19. That is Bulls' digested count. Big shout out to Casey as well. In Boston on Monday, they were out-rebounded 54-40 and turned it over 25 times in a 134-99 loss. In the opener, they lost 135-92 against the Toronto Raptors, and head coach Thiago Splitter put it plainly, saying, when we don't touch the paint or don't create any shifts in their defense, those are bad shots. Translation, the Bulls are trying to get good looks by the map and bad ones by the eye test, and, well, the eye test tells you what's happening. They also are short-handed. Nick Claxton, the one bull who protects the rim and cleans the glass, is out with a hamstring. Now, Toby Iwanka is questionable with an ankle sprain. Patrick Williams has been sitting with groin soreness. And overall, we know the Bulls are in serious trouble. And to be fair, Caleb Wilson is the real thing. 67 points for his first three games. Second to only Michael Jordan, 74 as a Bulls player. He will get his. The question is whether anybody... else on the team beats you, and with OG on an OB all over you, Caleb Wilson, that is not a good night for you, sir. And this schedule doesn't help them. After the Knicks, Chicago has 10 straight games against teams that made the playoffs last season. Tonight is the one that they could have used to get right, so now the pressure is fully on them. There's no pressure on the Knicks tonight, which makes things even better. So here's the recipe. Make Chicago take the shots they have I've been missing, win the glass, Own the first quarter, do those three things, and the Knicks need far from a miracle. They just need to play like they usually do. Now, here's the part that everyone is gonna act like will bury them and put them at one and four. There's the back-to-back. The Knicks played last night. The Bulls have not played since Monday. That is real. I'm not gonna pretend that back-to-backs don't hurt teams. The Knicks are on night two, and Chicago is rested. But look at how last night actually went. Nobody ran their legs off. Detroit cut a 27-point lead to 14 pretty late, mostly against the bench. And Jose Alvarado is out with an ankle injury. He's also out again tonight. So Tyler Kolick filled in, and Kolick will fill in again, where he has been moving the ball really well. Had one of the best passes all season so far with the around-the-back pass he had to Carl Anthony Towns. And, I mean, we really, really do see that where this team is at, the Knicks are set up to win this game in a big way. And then quickly, something that people do like to talk about is the off-the-court noise. It was reported the Knicks shut down extension talks with Carl Anthony Towns back on October 9th. The reported numbers are four years, $200 million offer, and Townside is looking for 225 to 240 mil. Well, Towns has been playing like his side is correct on that. And according to Stephen A. Smith, James Dolan is upset the players did not want to visit the White House. That is one report. The team has not confirmed it. Obviously, it's still up in the air. There's a chance the Knicks go, because James Dolan is friends with the president of the United States. And, honestly, I don't think it's really affecting the Knicks whatsoever. They're in their season. We know how this team locks in. And Towns' answer to all of this off-the-court noise was a 27-20 game. That's the story there. Carl Anthony Towns is him. So, honestly, I think this shows exactly why the Knicks will beat the Bulls tonight. And last night was not a fluke. It was the first game this season that the champions looked like the champions against the team that was first in the East last year. That's four reasons. The starting group finally showed up. Bridges is hitting his shots again. Karl-Anthony Towns is putting up numbers that nobody else really ever posts in the league outside of him and Nikola Jokic. And the Bulls lose their games in the first and third quarters while missing almost everything they shoot, while the Knicks will make you pay for missing your shots. Now, why... Four games can't erase a title. They won four rounds in June. They're 1-3 in October, and the same lineup that fans began to write off and panic about for no reason at all just posted a 137.5 offensive rating. Now, one more comment. We did see Ralph328 Chaunceyist, who is the comment of the day today, saying, I'm not worried about it at all. I'd rather New York start a little slow and avoid injuries than go all out and get hurt. That's a champion's mindset right there. And, Ralph, you could not be more correct. Look at all the injuries that have already happened this season. Anthony Edwards is out for two months. Half the Thunder's ball handlers are out for the year. We just saw overall Tyrese Halliburton is now missing more time with a hamstring that's lingered for years now. The Knicks, they are clearly playing relaxed. They're managing it. They're doing some load management. And guess what? It's working. They're playing with that champion's mindset, as Ralph mentioned. So tell me, do the Knicks win tonight, yes or no? Drop it in the comments. Win tonight. The next test is against Philadelphia on Friday. The Knicks want to get that game back. They also play the Bulls at the Garden next Wednesday. That is how a winning streak gets built. That is how you remind everyone, by the way. I'm him. Wear that team. Wear who you can't beat. Now, guys, we have so much more content coming out, so make sure to go check out all the Knicks Digest videos. We got two videos coming out every single day from now on. We got YouTube shorts as well. Like this video. Subscribe. Turn on post notifications. Have a wonderful, wonderful day, guys. Go Knicks. Let's start showing everyone how damn good the 2026 NBA champions are. I'll catch you later.