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Knicks at Bulls: Two 1-3 Teams Meet at the United Center With Early Pressure Building
New York and Chicago both stumbled out of the gate, and Wednesday night in Chicago offers one of them a chance to steady things before the slide becomes a story.
Four games is too early for anyone to panic, but a 1-3 start makes every game feel heavier. The Knicks arrive in Chicago on Wednesday with the same record as the Bulls, and reports this week have kept the focus on what has gone wrong. Orlando's win over New York has been cited in coverage of the Magic's next game, and an amNewYork piece says Karl-Anthony Towns has reminded the Knicks of what they need to survive. The franchise also lost a link to its past, as the New York Post reports that former Knicks forward Barry Clemens has died at 83.
Tip-off is set for 8:00 PM ET at the United Center, with the game on NBA League Pass. Both teams need the win, and the first team to string together stops could set the tone in a building where the Bulls will want to protect their home floor early in the season.
Jalen Brunson remains the center of the Knicks' offense, and expectations put him in the mid-20s in scoring. Towns carries a double-double expectation, with lines pointing to more than 20 points and a heavy share of the rebounds. OG Anunoby and Josh Hart round out the production New York will count on. For Chicago, Matas Buzelis is one of the names to watch, and Caleb Wilson and Norman Powell also feature among the evening's notable scorers.
The market sees New York as the stronger side despite the matching records. The Knicks are favored, with Chicago getting 6.5 points on the spread, and the total sits at 232.5, suggesting an expectation of a game played at a healthy pace.
