The Knicks are on a four-game winning streak thanks to a 109-104 win over the Chicago Bulls at MSG.
Five things to know from Monday’s game
1. The Knicks rolled with a usual starting five of Alec Burks, RJ Barrett, Evan Fournier, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson. Quentin Grimes, who did not play in Sunday’s 104-102 win at the Detroit Pistons, was out once again with an illness.
2. Randle, who missed three games in a row before returning for Sunday’s 104-102 win at the Detroit Pistons, struggled offensively. He ended his 28-minute night scoring five points on 1-of-9 shooting but grabbed 13 rebounds and dished four assists — both team-high numbers.
3. Burks and Barrett picked up the slack, though, fueling a Knicks charge that outlasted 64 combined points by DeMar DeRozan (game-high 37) and Zach LaVine (27). Burks scored 10 of his 27 points in the second quarter, where the Knicks trailed 39-27 at the 9:47 mark, on a 9-for-19 clip from the field — including five three-pointers over 10 attempts — through 42 minutes. Barrett came alive in the second half, stiff-arming the Bulls’ comeback attempts and finishing with 28 points on 10-of-24 shooting in 43 minutes.
4. Off the bench, Obi Toppin was a key contributor, adding 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting in 20 minutes. Toppin’s layup with 6:04 left in the fourth quarter capped an 8-2 run where the Knicks prevented one of many Bulls comeback attempts.
5. Robinson’s consistent production added up with a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double. The big man was 8-of-9 from the field in a 35-minute effort.
Highlights
What’s next
The Knicks (34-42), seeking a fifth straight win, host the Charlotte Hornets (39-37) Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
