New York didn’t win this game in the final minutes — it won it coming out of halftime.
The Knicks outscored the Bulls 31-25 in the third quarter, turning a one-point deficit into a lead they protected the rest of the way in a 105-99 road win Monday night at the United Center. New York improved to 37-21, while Chicago dropped to 24-34 and continued a brutal stretch of form, now six straight losses.
Game flow: a third-quarter swing that stuck
Chicago started with energy, edging the first quarter 27-25 and keeping the Knicks off balance early. The second quarter stayed tight — New York took it 27-26 — and the Bulls went to the break up 53-52.
Then the Knicks hit the accelerator. Their 31-point third quarter was the game’s cleanest separation, driven by sharper execution and better pace. Chicago couldn’t match it, scoring 25, and the Bulls spent the entire fourth quarter chasing.
The Knicks didn’t blow the doors off late — the fourth quarter finished 22-21 — but they were steady enough to keep Chicago from stringing together the kind of run that flips a close game.
Possession battle: Knicks’ ball movement held up
In a game without a huge margin for error, New York’s playmaking edge mattered. The Knicks finished with 27 assists to Chicago’s 24, a small but meaningful difference in a matchup that came down to execution in the half-court.
That assist gap showed up most after halftime, when New York’s offense generated cleaner looks and avoided empty possessions, especially during the third-quarter push.
Turning point
The third quarter. New York’s 31-25 advantage created the cushion, and every Bulls possession after that carried extra pressure. Chicago never fully recovered the control it had in the first half.
What it means going forward
For the Knicks, this was a professional road win: survive the early deficit, win the third, and manage the finish. At 37-21, New York continues to stack results even when the game isn’t pretty.
For the Bulls, the margin is thinning. Chicago has now lost six straight, and despite a competitive first half, the same issue resurfaced: one decisive stretch — in this case, the third quarter — was enough to swing the outcome.