Welp, that was a noble failure, if there can be such a thing so early into the 2026-27 regular season.
Our (better-rested) Chicago Bulls looked like the better team throughout much of their home tilt against the reigning champion New York Knicks on Wednesday, matching them blow-for-blow with a barrage of triples and another sharp game from rookie forward Caleb Wilson.
Norman Powell submitted his best night as a Bull thus far, while Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey looked more engaged than they otherwise have this season.
Chicago built up a big lead midway through the third frame, but the Knicks’ resilient depth — and the late-game heroics of Stevenson hero Jalen Brunson — ultimately toppled the Bulls, 133-127. Chicago now falls to a middling 1-4 on the season, while New York claims its second victory in as many nights, improving to 2-3 so far.
Close but not enough.Norman Powell: 30 pts (10/15 FG)Caleb Wilson: 20 pts, 6 reb, 4 astBuzelis/Smith: 17 pts each pic.twitter.com/oFrrxcLAxu
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 29, 2026Still, Chicago showed some fight — and most importantly, head coach Tiago Splitter exhibited a continued willingness to futz with his rotations in order to maximize Caleb Wilson.
Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis attempts a dunk against New York Knicks center Andre Drummond.Bulls Surprisingly Respectable in First Half
The Bulls showed real mettle in the opening half. There seemed to be more of a mandate to get Buzelis involved early. Wilson’s defense, too, looked a shade better.
Watch him meet Jordan Clarkson at the rim with his lone rejection of the night, then handle the ball into the teeth of the Knicks’ defense on a fast break before finding a cutting Buzelis for a flush.
WILSON REJECTION ➡️ BUZELIS OOPSHOWTIME BULLS ? pic.twitter.com/YBDj5gtH3n
— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) October 29, 2026This was a weirdly close game in front of Derrick and P.J. Rose and a sold-out United Center crowd (which included a few vocal Knicks fans). Chicago’s active play helped yield a whopping 18 lead changes and 14 ties!
Things were still relatively close with time ticking down in the opening half.
Chicago’s pass-happy offense wasn’t quite done yet. With time expiring, backup point guard (who has inarguably been better than $100 million starter Josh Giddey this season) nailed a 2K half-court heave to put Chicago up by two possessions, 62-56.
TRE JONES CLOSES THE FIRST HALF FROM HALF COURT! ??#BullsNation | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/BVz78T2fTh
— Bulls Nation (@BullNationCHI) October 29, 2026That take wrapped up a scintillating 11-3 Chicago run heading into the break.
A whopping five Bulls players had notched nine or more points through two quarters, as the Knicks appeared a bit out of sorts and exhausted from blowing out the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson dribbles Chicago Bulls forward Leonard Miller.Bulls Threaten to Run Away in Third Quarter — Before a Jalen Brunson Masterpiece
Norman Powell was the story in the third frame for Chicago — and it wasn’t just a march to the free throw line, which he had often done when his shot wasn’t falling in the team’s four prior games.
The All-Star shooting guard scored 19 points during the third quarter alone (finishing with a Bulls-most 30 on 10-of-15 field goal shooting), while helping propel Chicago to a lead of as much as 19 points.
NORMAN POWELL IS COOKING ?? He's got 12 points in the 3rd quarter for a team-high 21 PTS pic.twitter.com/j0XylwZi6k
— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) October 29, 2026As pretty much anyone who watched last year’s playoffs would have wagered, it was not to last. The Knicks closed out the third quarter on a 22-7 run. Heading into the fourth, New York had shaved Chicago’s margin to 96-90.
While the Bulls offered a spirited rebuttal down the stretch, no one could truly stop Jalen Brunson. After Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Jordan Clarkson, and… Tyler Kolek (no, seriously) helped the Knicks recover the lead three minutes into the frame, the All-NBA point guard took over.
Brunson scored 14 of his game-high 38 points during the game’s closing seven minutes. The Bulls wouldn’t go quietly, in an encouraging sign!
A 7-0 Knicks run put New York up (temporarily) by five points midway through the period, 114-109, before Chicago closed the gap with a confident Caleb Wilson trey.
Chicago refused to surrender. An 11-3 Bulls run cut the Knicks’ advantage to just a possession, 130-127, with 8.7 seconds remaining in regulation. Chicago ultimately was compelled to play the free throw game, allowing Brunson and Anunoby to ice the contest with 3-of-4 shooting from the charity stripe.
Still, this was a far more acceptable loss than Monday’s 35-point road disaster against the Boston Celtics. Chicago packed it in by the middle of the third quarter, with Buzelis and Giddey more or less having checked out way earlier than that!
This time, everyone was dialed-in, Splitter was making hockey substitutions, and — bonus — Wilson is now just the fourth NBA rookie ever to log 15+ points, 1+ block, and 1+ steal across all of his first five pro outings, according to CHSN’s K.C. Johnson!
Wilson finished with 20 points on 7-of-18 shooting from the field (3-of-8 from deep!) and 3-of-4 shooting from the free throw line, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block. Jalen Smith, still starting for the injured Nicolas Claxton, logged a quiet 17-point, 11-rebound, five-assist, three-block night on 7-of-12 shooting (3-of-7 from distance). Buzelis also chipped in 17 points. Seven Bulls (all the starters plus Leonard Miller and Tre Jones) scored in double digits.
Noa Essengue was Splitter’s first option off the bench, brought in to defend the Knicks’ centers. Zach Collins was a healthy scratch.
The Bulls are now 0-2 across a brutal 10-game slog against only projected playoff squads. Can they make things at least a little more interesting when they return to Boston on Friday, building on this “good” Knicks loss?
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