Chicago Bulls vs New York Knicks Prediction & Match Preview - December 2nd, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22
The New York Knicks will host the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden on December 2nd.
The Chicago Bulls are coming off a 144-119 blowout win against the Charlotte Hornets. With this win/loss, they have improved to a 14-8 record in the Eastern Conference.
The New York Knicks will head into this game on the back of a tough 112-110 loss against the Brooklyn Nets. With this loss, they have fallen to 11-10 on the season.
Match Details
Fixture - Chicago Bulls vs New York Knicks | 2021-22 NBA Season
Date & Time - Thursday, December 2nd, 2021; 7:30 PM ET (Friday, December 3rd, 2021; 6:00 AM IST)
Venue - Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
Chicago Bulls Preview
The Chicago Bulls are coming off a dominant performance against the Charlotte Hornets. The headliner featured a family feud of the Ball brothers. With Lonzo Ball and LaMelo Ball sharing the floor, the duel between the two brothers saw Lonzo emerge as the victor.
Lonzo recorded 16 points and eight assists for the game as the Chicago Bulls steamrolled the Hornets at United Center. Given the task of guarding his younger brother, LaMelo would have his way, as he scored 18 points and dished out 13 dimes.
Although Lonzo Ball had a great game, the combined performances of DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine propelled the Bulls' to victory. With the trio recording a total of 83 points, the Chicago Bulls pulled away on the back of their big man returning to form.
THREE Bulls with 25+ in the win against the Hornets 🔥
⭐ Vucevic ‣ 30 Pts, 14 Reb
⭐ DeRozan ‣ 28 Pts, 6 Ast
⭐ LaVine ‣ 25 Pts, 5 Ast https://t.co/3AxE5V0vmH
Key Player - Lonzo Ball
Heading into this game against the New York Knicks, Lonzo Ball will be a key player for the Chicago Bulls.
With the keys to the Bulls' offense in his hands, Ball's role on the defensive end is just as important. The New York Knicks have been struggling as an offensive unit with the move of Alec Burks to the point guard position. Hence, Ball will have to focus on stunting their offense early.
Lonzo Ball will also have to find a way to mobilize Chicago's interior in this matchup. With the return of Nikola Vucevic, Ball will have to continue to feed their big man. It will establish Vucevic as an inside force to draw the New York Knicks' defense to the paint.
Lonzo Ball created a possible total of 18 points in the 4th quarter alone, 3 of those created points were missed shots.
He generated the most points in the 4th quarter while only having 5 points & 3 assists.
Here’s all 18 possible points generated. https://t.co/BfGhWTlNnU
By crowding the paint and opening up the perimeter, Ball's ability to find his teammates could help the Chicago Bulls' scoring rhythm.
Chicago Bulls Predicted Lineup
G - Lonzo Ball | G - Zach LaVine | F - Demar DeRozan | F - Javonte Green | C - Nikola Vucevic
New York Knicks Preview
The New York Knicks are coming off a tough loss against Brooklyn on the road. Featuring a comeback charge led by Derrick Rose, the Knicks tied the game with less than a minute to play.
The New York Knicks hung tough and gave an admirable fight to the championship favorites. However, there were some changes in their roster that are worth addressing. Their star offseason signing, Kemba Walker, has been taken out of the rotation.
Tom Thibodeau says Kemba Walker is out of the Knicks rotation 'as of right now' https://t.co/sr9ONlnfTX
With Alec Burks stepping into the starting point guard position for the New York Knicks, Walker's poor performance will see him sit out more games.
Key Player - Julius Randle
The New York Knicks will look to Julius Randle to be their key player in this matchup against the Chicago Bulls.
Randle is one of the most talented power forwards in the Eastern Conference. Armed with a sturdy and durable build, he is also a skilled playmaker and has emerged as a versatile scorer.
This Knicks sequence 🔥 https://t.co/k8twLwlUc5
Julius Randle has a tendency to make some hasty decisions in the closing moments of the game. However, when he is in rhythm and is rebounding effectively, the Knicks' chances of winning increase dramatically.
Coming off a near triple-double performance against the Brooklyn Nets, Julius Randle will have to take advantage of the Bulls' being shorthanded at the four. With Mitchell Robinson drawing Vucevic's attention, the absence of an interior defender could create a lot of scoring opportunities.
New York Knicks Predicted Lineup
G - Alec Burks | G - Evan Fournier | F - RJ Barrett | F - Julius Randle | C - Mitchell Robinson
Bulls vs Knicks Match Predictions
The Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks matchup will prove to be an entertaining one.
The Chicago Bulls seem to be in better form as they come off a win against the New Orleans Hornets. Having beaten the Knicks at home earlier in the season, the Bulls also have the edge in the series.
While the Knicks have home court advantage, they may also face some internal strife with roster changes. Although they seemed fine adjusting to Alec Burks at point, playing against the Bulls may prove to be a bigger challenge for the Knicks.
Where to watch Bulls vs Knicks game?
The Bulls vs. Knicks game will be nationally broadcast on NBA TV. The game will also receive local coverage on MSG Network and NBC Sports Nationwide. Fans can also access the game on the NBA’s League Pass platform. Fans can also listen to the game on the radio by tuning into WEPN and WCSR.