The Final Stretch Begins, A Tough Trip to MSG, Knicks Injury Report, and Other Bulls Bullets ...Middle East

Take some deep breaths, turn on some ocean sounds, and maybe book yourself a deep tissue massage.

Chicago Bulls basketball is back!

After a much-needed All-Star break, the Bulls will tip off their final 27 games at Madison Square Garden later tonight. While they still sit in the Play-In Tournament picture and 10th in the Eastern Conference, these next few games could finally change that. After facing a 36-18 Knicks team in a hostile environment, they will return to the United Center for a matchup with a star-studded Suns squad that is hoping to make a postseason push. After that is a matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers, who are 1.5 games behind Chicago for that final Play-In spot. The majority of us can agree that it’s in the Bulls’ best interest to prolong this four-game losing streak and swap spots with Philly. However, whether or not the 76ers would even take advantage of that opportunity is a painfully fair question. No team has been more disappointing than the 76ers this season, and they are only 3-7 over their last ten games. Boston is first up on their post-All-Star break schedule before a matchup with the Nets, who are actually tied with them for the No. 11 spot. Speaking of, while Brooklyn doesn’t have much of an incentive to crack the Play-In, I’d be perfectly happy to see them also swap spots with the Bulls. Their ragtag rebuilding roster has played some pretty inspired basketball as of late, going 6-4 in their last ten with wins over Houston, Miami, and Philly. The Bulls will face them one more time this season on March 13, so there is a very real possibility that this game will have a significant impact on either Play-In or lottery seeding. We’ll see. © Nick Wosika-Imagn Images Believe it or not, two of the Bulls’ 22 wins have come against the third-seeded Knicks this season. After barely walking away with a 124-123 victory in mid-November, they ran New York out of the gym on Jan. 4 with a 139-126 victory. This included a 41-point third quarter where the Bulls went 7-9 from three and held the Knicks to just 28.0 percent shooting. The night finished with a staggering 60-24 victory for Chicago behind the arc, as New York went only 8-30 from downtown. Unfortunately for the Bulls, I’m not sure I see the same story unfolding tonight. Coby White shot 9-11 from long range in that last game, and he walks into this one just 2-17 over his last two contests. Zach LaVine was also a pivotal part of that win, as he scored 33 points and set an important downhill tone against New York’s vulnerable interior defense. Then, of course, there is the fact that the Knicks have been averaging the second-most points in the paint per game since the calendar flipped to 2025. No team has allowed opponents to score more in the restricted area this season than the Bulls. Chicago has also really struggled in the turnover department as the season has dragged on. While this may not be your prototypical Thibs defense, New York still knows how to take full advantage of sloppiness. They score roughly 20 points per game off opponent turnovers (4th in the NBA), and the Bulls have held the fifth-highest TOV% since Feb. 1. Don’t love that!

Tonight: Bulls-Knicks at the Garden ?⏰: 6:30 pm CT?: t.co/dLgvAjeEdl?: @670TheScore @AmericanExpress | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/QtggbHPzHf

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 20, 2025 The Bulls will also have to deal with the versatile Knicks offense without one of their better defenders. Patrick Williams – despite reportedly practicing this week – has been ruled out with a quad injury. The good news is that Lonzo Ball should be back on the floor, which should at least help with the Jalen Brunson matchup. As for the Knicks, they have already ruled out do-it-all wing Josh Hart and have listed OG Anunoby as questionable. If both talented defenders are forced to sit, there is no doubt things will be that much easier for a Bulls team that will need to score in bunches. Hart’s absence, in particular, feels like it could help Chicago quite a bit. The Bulls have struggled a lot on the offensive glass in recent weeks and there are few guards better at crashing the boards than Hart. Bobby Portis got hit with a 25-game suspension this morning after unknowingly taking a banned substance, per his agent. Big news for a Bucks team trying to continue their push up the East standings. More on the weird situation here. The Blackhawks are reportedly discussing trade opportunities for veteran Seth Jones. Tab has more on the potentially big deadline move. As the Bears hope to take a step forward this season, ticket holders are going to pay the price. CHICAGO CUBS BASEBALL IS (KINDA SORTA) BACK!

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