Game overview and key briefings from local US media
In the 2026/27 NBA regular season, the defending champion New York Knicks, last season's finalists, will clash with the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden. ESPN·Sports Illustrated·Yahoo Sports in the U.S. covered the match between coach Mike Brown's New York (3 wins, 4 losses), which lifted the mood with a complete win over Brooklyn, and Coach Tiago Splitter's Chicago (1 wins, 6 losses), which was in dire need of escaping its 5th consecutive losing streak.
Aiming for the return of New York Knicks’ strength and .500 win rate
•Champion core looking to rebound from the pressure of the throne: With Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart mentioning the strong checks from opposing teams on the defending champions in recent interviews, New York is trying to ride the wave of winning streak in front of its home fans. Josh Hart (Questionable) does a final check on his condition before the game.
•Jalen Brunson, who exploded for 38 points against Chicago, and Towns and Anunoby in action: Ace Jalen Brunson, who scored 38 points in the first match against Chicago this season, and center Karl-Anthony Towns, who shook off concerns about a wrist injury, Michal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson form a strong starting lineup.
Challenges to overcome Chicago Bulls power and field goal hunting
•Coach Splitter and Nick Claxton's appearance variables to break the chain of five-game losing streak: Chicago, which has 1 win and 6 losses due to a 107-126 loss to Philadelphia, urgently needs to recover its sense of field goal percentage and outside shooting, which are ranked in the bottom half of the league. Nic Claxton, the axis of the defense under the goal, was classified as Questionable, and Jaylen Smith was classified as Probable.
•Strong effort between rookie Caleb Wilson and veteran Norman Powell: Rookie forward Caleb Wilson, who stands out in the Rookie of the Year race by averaging over 20 points, and veteran shooters Norman Powell, Matas Bouzelis, and Coby White lead the attack.
Summary of key points to watch
1. Whether to control Jaylen Brunson: The top priority is how Chicago can block Brunson's pick-and-rolls and mid-range jumpers, which destroyed Chicago's advanced defense in the last match.
2. Rookie Caleb Wilson vs. OG Anunoby's wing matchup: Attention is focused on whether the energetic rookie Caleb Wilson can maintain his scoring ability against Anunoby, the league's top man-to-man defender.
✍️ LOCAL SPO Editorial2026-11-05
