Bulls vs. Knicks Recap: Brunson's 22-Point First Quarter Sinks Chicago in 135-105 Loss

The Bulls vs. Knicks recap from Madison Square Garden is short on suspense. Jalen Brunson scored 22 points in the first quarter, one more than the entire Chicago roster, and the New York Knicks rolled to a 135-105 win on Wednesday, Nov. 4, according to the Associated Press recap on CBS Sports. It was Chicago's sixth straight loss and left the Bulls at 1-7, per the Chicago Tribune.

For Bulls fans, the margin matters less than the pattern. A team the Tribune called the NBA's worst defensive and worst three-point shooting group gave up 84 first-half points and missed 20 straight threes at one stretch. Sunday's rematch with the 76ers now arrives with the frontcourt in flux.

Note: This recap is based on the box score and published reports, each linked here. Remix Sports Media did not attend the game or speak with players or coaches. Quotes come from the outlets cited.

Bulls vs. Knicks Recap: Brunson Settles It in the First Quarter

Chicago led exactly once. Jalen Smith's three-pointer off a Matas Buzelis assist made it 6-4, per the AP and the play-by-play, then New York used an 8-0 run and never trailed again. Brunson went 8-of-10 from the field in the first quarter, including 4-of-5 from three, and the Knicks led 43-21 after one, the AP reported.

The second quarter was no kinder. New York outscored Chicago 41-31, and the AP noted it was the first time the Knicks had scored 40 or more points in each of a game's first two quarters. Their 84-52 halftime lead tied the franchise record for points in a half. The margin peaked at 44, 111-67, on a Miles McBride four-point play with 3:23 left in the third quarter, and the Bulls never got closer than 30 after that.

Brunson finished with 33 points on 10-of-17 shooting, according to the CBS Sports box score. OG Anunoby added 18 points, 11 of them at the free-throw line, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 12 rebounds while going 5-of-5 from the field. Dalton Knecht scored 10 in his Knicks debut, the AP reported. The Knicks, who the Tribune described as the reigning champions, won their fourth game in five tries after an 0-3 start. For more on how the Knicks' title defense was expected to unfold, see our 2026-27 NBA season preview.

Where the Bulls' Offense Broke Down

Chicago shot 37-of-96 (38.5%) and 10-of-44 from three (22.7%), per the box score. Josh Giddey and Smith made the Bulls' first two threes. The next 20 missed before Jaylin Sellers snapped the drought late in the second quarter, On Tap Sports Net and Yahoo's Bulls Roundtable both reported.

The Tribune said the Bulls entered the night shooting a league-worst 27.2% from deep, and Roundtable noted they rank fifth in three-point attempts. Analysis: that gap between volume and accuracy is now the clearest offensive problem. Wednesday's 10-of-44 night was the team's second-worst from three this season, behind only the 4-of-36 opener at Toronto, the Tribune said.

The Knicks shot 44-of-87 (50.6%) and 17-of-40 from three, went 30-of-37 at the line, and had 57 player rebounds to Chicago's 34, per the box score. The AP noted that every Bulls opponent this season has scored at least 124 points. The Bulls' leading scorers were:

• Tre Jones: 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting with four assists.

• Jaylin Sellers: 14 points, including four threes on seven attempts.

• Matas Buzelis: 12 points, five rebounds and three assists.

• Norman Powell: 12 points on 3-of-12 shooting, 0-of-5 from three.

• Josh Giddey: 10 points and six assists.

All 15 Bulls who played scored, which On Tap Sports Net, citing K.C. Johnson, said had never happened in franchise history. Analysis: it is a quirky record, but it mostly reflects how early the game was decided.

Caleb Wilson's Rough Night and Powell's Message

Rookie Caleb Wilson, coming off a 24-point game in Philadelphia, went 2-of-12 with five points, five rebounds and three turnovers, and he missed six threes, according to the box score and the Tribune. The Tribune reported he did not play in the fourth quarter. "Honestly, I feel like I should've tried to keep playing more later in the game," Wilson said. "I was really frustrated."

Context helps. Wilson had just posted his third straight 20-point game, as we covered in our Bulls vs. 76ers recap, and he has been the story since his debut, which we covered in our season-opener recap. Roundtable also noted he extended a rookie mark with a steal and a made three in each of his first eight games. One cold night against a smothering defense does not undo that, though how he responds Sunday is worth watching.

Powell was blunt afterward. "Teams are coming at us and looking at us like it's lunch," he said, per the Tribune. "We've got to figure out how collectively to have the mentality and approach of some grittiness, some toughness, some way to compete."

Frontcourt Questions: Smith, Williams and Claxton

Smith left early in the second quarter after fouling Anunoby and landing hard, Roundtable reported. The Tribune said he bent his left wrist backward on the fall and was ruled out. We did not find an official diagnosis in the sources reviewed, so his status for Sunday is unconfirmed.

Patrick Williams made his season debut in relief and finished with four points and two assists in just under 20 minutes, per Roundtable. Zach Collins picked up five fouls in 14 minutes. Nic Claxton, out with a hamstring injury, is expected to make his season debut this week on a minutes restriction, the Tribune said, but is not guaranteed to play Sunday. If neither Claxton nor Smith is available, the Tribune noted, 6-foot-9 Collins would play center.

Analysis: the bench was the bright spot. Chicago's reserves outscored New York's 63-53, per Roundtable, and Leonard Miller added six rebounds and three assists off the bench. Meanwhile, every starter was a minus-15 or worse in the box score. Coach Tiago Splitter may be tempted to reward the effort that showed up.

What's Next for the Bulls

Chicago returns home to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 2:30 p.m. CT at the United Center, according to the Bulls' schedule on NBA.com. Philadelphia beat the Bulls 126-107 on Nov. 2, and the key questions are Claxton's availability and minutes, Smith's health, and whether Chicago can cut down on the fouls and transition points that fueled both losses.

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