Knicks visit Bulls tonight to chase first win streak
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- The Knicks visit the Bulls at 8 PM ET on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at the United Center in Chicago.
- New York beat Detroit 111-97 on Tuesday for its first win after an 0-3 start to the season.
- Chicago has lost three of its first four games, and two of those losses came by 35 points or more.
The New York Knicks play the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. The game starts at 8 PM ET at the United Center in Chicago. New York wants a second win in a row.
Chicago wants to stop a bad start from getting worse.
Both teams enter the game with a 1-3 record. That makes this game a test for both sides. The Knicks are the defending champions.
The Bulls are a young team in a rebuild.
What happened
New York earned its first win on Tuesday night. The Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons 111-97 at home. Jalen Brunson scored 23 points in that win.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27 points and grabbed 20 rebounds.
That win ended a rough start. New York lost its first three games of the season. The losses came against Philadelphia, Boston, and Orlando.
A fourth straight loss would have put the Knicks in rare company. No reigning champion had started 0-4 since the 1969-70 Boston Celtics.
Mikal Bridges gave New York a lift on Tuesday. He made 4 of 8 shots from three-point range. He had missed all 10 of his three-point shots in the first three games.
He finished with 12 points against Detroit. He had scored just 10 points in total across the first three games.
Brunson kept the mood calm after the win. "Rome was not built in a day," Brunson said.
"This is a new year, new team." He added that trouble came early this season.
He said the team must fight back.
Chicago comes into this game in worse shape. The Bulls have lost three of their first four games. They lost 134-99 at Boston on Monday night.
They trailed by as many as 40 points in that game. They never led at any point.
Chicago also gave the ball away 25 times against Boston. The Bulls lost the rebound battle by 14. Norman Powell scored 20 points in that loss.
Rookie Caleb Wilson scored 17 points.
The Bulls are in a rebuild under a new coach. Tiago Splitter is in his first year as head coach. He took over a young roster with no proven star.
The early results show how hard that job is.
Why it matters
This game matters because it tests two very different stories. New York wants to show that Tuesday was a turning point. Chicago wants to show that it can compete at home.
The Knicks have more talent than the Bulls. That much is clear from the rosters. But talent alone has not been enough so far.
New York has yet to play a full game of strong defense. The team has shown good signs in short bursts only.
Towns has been the bright spot for New York. He has been hard to stop when he stays on the court. OG Anunoby has found new ways to score.
He has also reached the free-throw line more often. Bridges woke up against Detroit after a slow start.
Chicago has a simpler problem. The Bulls cannot shoot well enough yet. They shoot just 23.8 percent from three-point range this season.
That mark ranks last in the NBA. They made only 12 of 44 three-point shots against Boston.
The defense has been worse. Chicago has given up more than 130 points in three of its four games. Its net rating sits at minus-18.3.
That is the worst mark in the league so far.
Wilson has been the one bright spot for Chicago. The rookie averages 18.5 points per game. He shoots 41.9 percent from the field.
But he has made just 5 of 28 three-point shots. Powell is the only other Bull who averages more than 14 points per game.
Josh Giddey is the player to watch for Chicago. He has four career triple-doubles against the Knicks. That is his highest total against any one team.
A triple-double means double digits in points, rebounds, and assists.
The key matchups
The starting lineups are set for both teams. New York starts Brunson, Bridges, Hart, Anunoby, and Towns. Chicago starts Giddey, Wilson, Matas Buzelis, Powell, and Jalen Smith.
The first matchup is Towns against the Chicago front line. Towns scored 27 points with 20 rebounds on Tuesday. Chicago lost the rebound battle by 14 against Boston.
If Towns controls the paint again, New York will be hard to beat.
The second matchup is Brunson against Giddey. Brunson runs the New York offense. Giddey runs the Chicago offense.
Giddey has played some of his best games against New York. Brunson scored 23 points on Tuesday and looked sharp.
The third matchup is the three-point line. New York found its shot against Detroit. Chicago has not found its shot all season.
If the Bulls shoot like they did against Boston, they will struggle again. If they shoot better at home, this game could stay close.
Injuries will also play a part. New York lists Jose Alvarado as out with a left ankle sprain. Chicago lists Nic Claxton as out with a left hamstring strain.
Tobe Awaka is questionable with a left ankle sprain. Patrick Williams is questionable with a right adductor strain.
Recent history favors New York. The Knicks have won three straight games against Chicago. They have won six of the past 10 meetings.
The last meeting ended in a 136-96 Knicks win in New York. The last game in Chicago ended in a 105-99 Knicks win.
New York also faces a tired-legs test. The Knicks played on Tuesday night in New York. They travel to Chicago for a second game in two nights.
Teams often struggle in the second game of such a pair. New York must bring the same energy it showed against Detroit.
Read more about the Knicks' last game in our Knicks vs Pistons showdown at MSG report. Read about the Bulls' last game in our Bulls vs Celtics preview from TD Garden. For the full season schedule, see our NBA season start guide for 2026-27.
What happens next
A Knicks win would give them their first win streak of the season. It would also ease the pressure after the 0-3 start. A second straight win would show that Tuesday was real progress.
It would not fix every problem, but it would be a step forward.
A Bulls win would change the mood in Chicago. It would give a young team proof that it can beat a champion. It would also end a two-game losing streak.
The Bulls need a home win to build belief in the rebuild.
The result will also shape the next few days. New York can build on a win with rest and practice. Chicago would face more questions after another heavy loss.
Both teams are still early in a long season. But early wins matter for confidence.
One game will not decide either season. It will, however, tell us which team is learning faster. Watch the rebound battle and the three-point shooting.
Those two numbers may decide the night.
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