Overview
- New York fell to 2–3 with a 135–125 defeat in Chicago, where the Bulls put up 72 first-half points and had six players in double figures, led by Josh Giddey’s 32 and Nikola Vucevic’s 26.
- Brown labeled the defense "nonexistent," citing poor ball containment, overzealous closeouts, and missed game-plan details such as allowing Ayo Dosunmu repeated right-hand drives.
- The much-touted depth has sputtered, with the Knicks’ reserves outscored 131–60 across the three losses and newcomers Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele losing minutes after early struggles.
- Roles and health remain in flux, as Josh Hart settles into a sixth-man job while managing finger numbness and Mitchell Robinson returned for 20 minutes in his season debut then was listed as questionable for the next game.
- Early metrics underscore the adjustment, with the Knicks 23rd in pace and 17th in offensive rating, as Brown leans on in-game teaching and a seven-game Garden homestand to reset.