Bulls at Knicks: Chicago gets another chance to contain Jalen Brunson
Chicago led New York by as many as 19 points in the third quarter last week and still lost 133-127. Jalen Brunson scored 38 in that meeting. The rematch moves to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, with the Knicks coming off a fourth-quarter surge against Brooklyn and the Bulls trying to stop a five-game losing streak. Both teams have evidence from the first contest; neither can assume the same shots will fall again.
- Competition: 2026-27 NBA regular season. This is not an NBA Cup group-stage game.
- Matchup: Chicago Bulls at New York Knicks.
- Tip-off: Wednesday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m. EST in New York; Thursday, November 5 at 00:30 UTC.
- Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York City.
What changed after the first meeting
Brunson's 38 points and seven assists powered the Knicks in Chicago on October 28. OG Anunoby scored 23, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 19 points and 13 rebounds. Norman Powell had 30 for the Bulls, with Caleb Wilson scoring 20. New York put up 43 points in the fourth quarter after erasing Chicago's 19-point lead. The NBA's game recap makes the central problem plain: the Bulls found ways to score, but could not keep Brunson and his teammates from answering late.
The Knicks showed another version of that finish against Brooklyn on Monday. They trailed 79-75 after three quarters before opening the fourth with a 25-5 run and winning 103-90. Landry Shamet led New York with 22 points; Brunson had 19, Anunoby 18, and Towns 11 points with 16 rebounds. The 28-11 final quarter turned a close city game into a comfortable result. Chicago must account for the players around Brunson as well as the guard who dominated the first matchup.
New York is 3-4 after opening the season 0-3 and winning three of its next four, according to the NBA's Brooklyn recap. Jose Alvarado returned Monday after missing four games with a sprained left ankle. His appearance against the Nets is relevant background, but it does not establish his status for Wednesday's game; the team-specific injury filing will do that.
Wilson's scoring has not stopped the Bulls' slide
The Bulls fell 126-107 in Philadelphia on Monday, their fifth consecutive defeat, and are listed at 1-6 by their official team schedule. Rookie Caleb Wilson scored 24 points and Norman Powell 18. Chicago scored 54 points in the paint but allowed 62. The Sixers pulled away late after building their lead in the third quarter.
Wilson made four of nine three-point attempts in Philadelphia, according to the Bulls' game report, and his production gives Chicago a threat from more than one spot on the floor. Powell's 30-point game against the Knicks last week shows another available route. The question is whether Chicago can keep creating those shots when New York adjusts, rather than letting a promising stretch dissolve into a hurried possession at the other end.
Rebounding is part of that equation. Towns had 13 against the Bulls last week and 16 against Brooklyn on Monday. If Chicago lets him extend possessions, even a successful first defense against Brunson may not be enough. Nic Claxton's questionable designation and Jalen Smith's probable listing make the Bulls' frontcourt depth a live question; neither player's participation is settled by the report. If the Bulls secure the ball and move before New York sets up, Powell and Wilson could find cleaner opportunities.
Availability: Claxton questionable, Smith probable
The NBA's official injury report at 4:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, November 3 included two Chicago designations for this matchup. New York had not yet submitted its list. For a game that is not the second half of a back-to-back, the league requires its first report by 5 p.m. local time the day before. A missing Knicks filing is not evidence that every player is healthy.
Chicago Bulls
- Nic Claxton: questionable with a left hamstring strain. His availability for the matchup with New York's frontcourt remains uncertain.
- Jalen Smith: probable with a left finger sprain. Probable does not mean confirmed to play.
New York Knicks
- Jose Alvarado: returned Monday after four missed games with a left ankle sprain. New York had not filed its Wednesday report at the stated cutoff.
- Other players: no Knicks game-specific designations appeared in the 4:00 p.m. EST report.
How to watch Bulls at Knicks
The clubs identify separate local broadcasts for this particular game: CHSN/CHSN App in the Chicago market and MSG/DAZN in the New York market. The NBA lists the matchup on League Pass. US viewers are subject to local blackout rules; the league says its games are available live on League Pass in supported countries outside the United States and Canada. A US regional channel should not be mistaken for a nationwide or overseas broadcast.
United States
- Time: Wednesday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m. EST in New York / 6:30 p.m. CST in Chicago / 4:30 p.m. PST.
- Chicago market: CHSN on television and CHSN App for streaming, as scheduled by the Bulls.
- New York market: MSG on television and DAZN for the Knicks feed, as scheduled by the Knicks, subject to location and subscription.
- Outside the local markets: NBA League Pass, subject to blackout restrictions.
Australia
- Time: Thursday, November 5 at 11:30 a.m. AEDT in Sydney, 10:30 a.m. AEST in Brisbane and 8:30 a.m. AWST in Perth.
- Streaming: NBA League Pass. TV: no game-specific linear channel verified for Australia.
United Kingdom
- Time: Thursday, November 5 at 00:30 GMT.
- Streaming: NBA League Pass. TV: no game-specific linear channel verified for the UK.
Chicago has already shown it can put New York under pressure. The return meeting will show whether the Bulls can hold that standard for an entire game against a Knicks team that has just overturned another late deficit on its home floor.
