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2023-24 Game Thread: Knicks @ Bulls, Revenge Game Opener, which is kind of a thing

After an outstanding victory in Milwaukee against the Bucks, the Knicks head to Chicago to take revenge on the Bulls for beating them the other day.

This should be a fun one!

All the way through to the number two!

Let’s go, Knicks!

206 replies on “2023-24 Game Thread: Knicks @ Bulls, Revenge Game Opener, which is kind of a thing”

Reposting from the other thread:

@gk

I’ll be at the game as well tonight! Enjoy 🙂

And everyone, let me know if there’s something specific I can do to sabotage the Bulls’ chances tonight.

Josh Hart is playing, OG was much better against the Bucks, and Thibs surely will present something new to match the lineup with two bigs that the Bulls played last time. Things look good, BUT: we need to get out of the gate with more energy than in recent games, and shoot at a descent rate from outside.

Edey is not a “better” Boban skill-wise, just a better prospect because he is far more mobile. It’s a very low bar because Boban can barely run, but Boban has some polish to his game. Edey has a very limited skillset on offense, his movements are very stiff and slow, and I think he won’t be all that hard to defend.

I would still draft him in the late first because I think at the very least he’ll retain value for a while.

Let’s win this, and clinch the playoffs (with a little help from the Hawks)!! 🧡💙

Boston sitting KP and Horford at Milwaukee, wonder if they sit anybody on Thursday.

Bucks came out swinging

Helps that KP, their best player this season, is sitting out. Why do I get the feeling he’ll play against us and make at least 7 threes?

I’m forced to watch the Marlins broadcast but I saw on social media that Damien Priest was at Yankee Stadium. Would’ve been a bigger deal if Cody Rhodes visited but Priest is pretty good and was born in NYC.

I like Gus Johnson, but why does he say Hartenstein’s name like that? Like with all the emphasis? It’s weird and not in a Clyde esque endearing way

I had not heard this Clydism before

Clyde: “Brunson, weaving and achieving”

Nice.

JHart might have 30 rebounds when all is said and done.

Whatever the death lineup was, this is its anti-matter.

JB/Deuce/OG/Hart/Mitch. Try scoring.

Edit: and it lasted for 40 seconds.

Mitch doing a good job of looking intimidating, but not doing much else out there. Still ’rounding into shape.’

Is 68% shooting, including 86% from three, a good thing?

(That’s the Knicks so far…)

I was watching shaqtin a fool you tubes before the game and now this …

Seeing that all time Shaqtin a fool moment is worth the price of admission on its own, holy shit

Gus Johnson a little off his game tonight, it’s like his brain is on tape delay.

I feel a loss and an OG setback coming on

That’s all? Why you so optimistic tonight?

Why the hell did no one come to the ball with Mitch marooned on the perimeter?

Sorry Hubs, I just relay the messages from the basketball gods, I don’t write them

Brunson isn’t aware of what the basketball Gods want, and so he’ll guide us to the W. 😀

That was about to be such a dud of an end to a half…Donte would have none of it

Having said that there’s no chance in hell the Knicks are losing tonight.

If you put a gun to my head and made me decide if Brunson or Ewing is the best Knick I have seen play I don’t know what I would say….

Also, don’t put a gun to my head….

Is there some law that our bench and starters can’t play well at the same time?

If you put a gun to my head and made me decide if Brunson or Ewing is the best Knick I have seen play I don’t know what I would say….

LOL! Right now i’d say Ewing, but i might change my mind in a few years.

They showed him hobbling in the tunnel which I guess is sort of a good sign for the Bucks

Is there some law that our bench and starters can’t play well at the same time?

Yin-Yang 😀

I want Giannis to be 100% healthy when the Bucks flame out in the first round and he demands a trade to the Knicks this summer

Brunson has a very large offensive advantage over Ewing.

I don’t know what I think but Brunson is a phenomenon right now

OG looks good and healthy as hell

Maybe Pags isn’t talking to the basketball Gods, it’s probably some people like the ones that wanted to tell us how to win the national lottery! 😀

Franz Wagner out for Orlando and Giannis for Milwaukee, tomorrow’s game gonna be interesting.

The dunk! It never gets old, and always leaves a smile on my face. 🙂

If the Knicks could give a shit to play defense for just a few mins they’d put this game away.

There were like six open threes the Knicks didn’t take on the last few possessions. Nice passing, but still.

Mitch in almost 12 minutes has a steal and a personal foul. That is all.

Mitch in almost 12 minutes has a steal and a personal foul. That is all.

Frank Frank!

Derek Harper might no longer be my favorite Knick ever to wear number 11.

We should show that awful ISO play to OG’s agent when he asks for $40mm.

The sloppy ball handling and matador D in getting really annoying

I think we’ll win because Brunson is amazing and the Bulls aren’t good, but this defense won’t cut it in the playoffs

Coby White has been cooking Deuce so much that I think Thibs should put Donte back on him.

I didn’t think Gus would weigh in on today’s iHart free agency debate, but I still think he’s wrong.

Brunson…what is there left to say?

Maybe Gus is Pags. Anyone noticed he’s posting less comments today? 😀

ORL down 8 with 6 min to go in the 4th quarter.

Assuming the Bucks lose Giannis until the playoffs, we really have to hope Houston holds on to win that. Otherwise the 3rd seed might be difficult.

I’d rather listen to Doris Burke than Gus so far tonight and I consider Burke torture.

Pagliacci’s Circus of Despair

We have ourselves a winner!

I have never understood the “the foul stops the clock” thing. He can miss a free throw!

All the way through to the number two!

Get ready for Embiid, fellas!!

And 50 still in play.

I have never understood the “the foul stops the clock” thing. He can miss a free throw!

And the basket stops the clock too!

Can’t believe Gus asked Clyde how much he made. I mean, sure, I’m curious, but that’s just not done. There’s probably MSG HR rules against doing that…

So the Knicks will have sole possession of the #3 seed tonight.

They still need ORL and MIL to split their two games, I think, assuming the Knicks lose to Boston.

Can’t believe Gus asked Clyde how much he made. I mean, sure, I’m curious, but that’s just not done.

Wait, what? On air?

Minutes Police waiting outside for Thibs, though.

Did we really need to bench Bojan for the entire second half?

If we had a bit better injury luck we would have locked up the 2 seed last week

On air. “What’s the most you made in a year, Clyde?”

JHart, 17-13-7. Of course he played 46 minutes, who couldn’t run up a line like that playing that much.

Oh yeah, Mitch couldn’t, at least today. No rebounds, no shots, in almost 20 minutes (he did get two late steals though…).

Get ready for Embiid, fellas!!

Embiid tweaked his knee again he’s obviously not healthy

“Did we really need to bench Bojan for the entire second half?”

I think the answer is yes. He pulled a Burks tonight. He only had one turnover listed, which is weird, as he drove twice and lost the ball each time. Drove a third time and was blocked. 1-4. Total defensive turnstile.

We had Jalen Brunson, they did not, therefore we won the basketball game, sometimes it’s simple as that. Superstar, all-NBA, top 10 player in the league.

Orlando lost too, so a pretty great night overall.

On air. “What’s the most you made in a year, Clyde?”

Ugh. That’s bad, even if he was trying to get at how players were undervalued in Clyde’s heyday.

It’s not just about the stupidity of playing Brunson 42 mins, BBA. I think we actually need Bojan and I think it’s counterproductive to bury him like that.

Suns are down 28 to 4 in the 1st Qtr 😬

They are going to end up in the play-in, aren’t they? After going all-in.

masshole Hubert is probably fuming on celticsblogger because they played Tatum 38 minutes tonight

On air. “What’s the most you made in a year, Clyde?”

Clyde is too nice for that question. I would’ve answered him with “How many players had a Rolls Royce back in the day?”

Anyway… Imagine kicking Boston’s ass Thursday and finishing 2nd. That’s gonna grab some attention.

Brunson was truly amazing tonight. The offense was clicking all night long. It’s good to see the shots falling second game in a row. On the other end, it was maddening to watch the Bulls easily breaking down our defense time after time. The fourth quarter was the only exception. We caught huge break with Drummond getting injured but still got outrebounded. The Bulls had twelve (!) offensive rebounds. This is unacceptable.

It was a much-needed win tonight, and we are now alone in the third place. However, one cannot but be alarmed with the energy on defense. This has become a habit lately. This team can play much-much better and more consistent defense, and we are surely going to need that if we want to have any chance in the playoffs.

38 minutes is the dream, DRed! Save the 42s & 45s for the playoffs, please.

They are going to end up in the play-in, aren’t they? After going all-in.

Yea, they have a brutal schedule to end the season

Clippers 37 Suns 10 to finish the 1st quarter!?

How the hell does a team of Beal, Booker and Durant score 10 in a Quarter ever

I don’t think Brunson makes this leap in Dallas, so Nash is a bigger mistake.

I don’t think Brunson makes this leap in Dallas, so Nash is a bigger mistake

I agree on what would have happened with Brunson playing next to Doncic, but not getting anything for him is pretty brutal.

I think the answer is yes. He pulled a Burks tonight. He only had one turnover listed, which is weird, as he drove twice and lost the ball each time. Drove a third time and was blocked. 1-4. Total defensive turnstile.

I don’t know, man. I think this whole “you got 9 minutes to shine or you’re done” act might have something to do with why Bojan is underperforming.

Bigger Cuban mistake Nash or Brunson?

Nash easily, he was already an all star they let go for nebulous health concerns-he played 82, 82, and 78 games the 3 years before he left.

I’m a little terrified of the Sixers finishing 6th. I guess Indiana holding the tiebreaker makes it somewhat unlikely.

The Bulls threw the sink at Brunson tonight and could not stop him. The most scary thing about him is to hear coaches saying that he hasn’t reached is ceiling yet. Wow!

Bojan sprained his wrist and is trying to play through it. That’s probably why he didn’t play in the second half.

I don’t know, man. I think this whole “you got 9 minutes to shine or you’re done” act might have something to do with why Bojan is underperforming.

For all Thibs flaws he’s been coaching in the NBA for 35 years I think he undestands a guy going 1-4 in 9 minutes is not having a bad game.

Im glad I’m not the owner of the Bucks.

I don’t understand why they are this bad, but it’s hard to be optimistic about their future.

Other than Bull-Hawks, the play-in games this season will be really fun. I hope we get Sixers-Heat, Lakers-Warriors, and Kings-Suns matchups.

I don’t expect Phoenix to do much this post season, which is why I’ve mentioned Booker as a trade target. I don’t think he’s duplicative with Brunson the way Mitchell is. Still, maybe not ideal or even necessary if we bring everyone back.

Another update on magic numbers (*barring the Dolan’s Razor of a 3-way tie) [(—) owns the tiebreaker]:
Knicks: — @BOS, BKN, CHI
Bucks (MIL): 5 ORL, @OKC, @ORL
Magic (ORL): 3 @MIL, @PHI, MIL
Cavs (NYK): 2 MEM, IND, CHA
Pacers (IND): 2 @CLE, ATL
Heat (NYK): 0* DAL, TOR, TOR
Sixers(NYK): 0 ORL, BKN

Regarding the dreaded scenario, it would require believing that the Knicks head into the playoffs on a 3-game losing streak. If that happens, we ain’t going anywhere anyway, so I’m totally discounting that possibility in my mind, but it is still out there.

Random tidbit. They mentioned during the game that OG’s father is a professor of business and finance at Lincoln University in Missouri. Turns out he raised his kids alone as his wife died of cancer when OG was one.

I think the Bucks winning tonight seals the #2 seed for them. Even without Giannis, I don’t see them finishing 0-3. They should be able to take one from the Magic at least.

I don’t understand why they are this bad, but it’s hard to be optimistic about their future.

Giannis is going to force the issue this summer, and they will oblige. We’ll give them Randle, Bojan, and all our picks. Then they will sell off Lillard for picks. And after Randle rehabs and comes back looking good, they’ll do the same with him.

It’s not a bad way to kickstart a rebuild.

I think the Bucks winning tonight seals the #2 seed for them. Even without Giannis, I don’t see them finishing 0-3. They should be able to take one from the Magic at least.

I think we’re going to win out and finish 2nd.

I don’t wish that to the Freak, but if he has a serious calf strain he may be out for at least a month if not more. This would be a huge break for us, assuming we keep the third seat and then make it to the second round of the playoffs. Court advantage doesn’t matter that much if Giannis is not playing.

Tyler Herro is back btw and scored 33 tonight. His offensive jolt will make Miami tougher to beat.

If Giannis wants to be remembered as the Loyal Freak he’ll stay in Milwaukee till the end.
If he decides to chase Immortal Status he Should pick NY.

Looking at the remaining schedules and tiebreakers I’m just not seeing Philly or Miami getting out of the play in. Orlando is actually the team to me who could be in danger of falling into the play in but Giannis being out should help Orlando not being swept by Milwaukee.

“I don’t wish that to the Freak, but if he has a serious calf strain he may be out for at least a month if not more. This would be a huge break for us, assuming we keep the third seat and then make it to the second round of the playoffs. Court advantage doesn’t matter that much if Giannis is not playing.”

I’m not falling into the trap of underestimating opponents, like Knicks fans did with the Hawks in 2021. I don’t think there is a single easy opponent for us, and am very concerned about a “be careful what you wish for” disappointment.

Obviously Brunson gives me a reason to believe, but under no circumstances am I going to think ahead to the second round. Our team has been really good at focusing on the task at hand, and I hope their mindset right now is to win all the games they can and let the chips fall where they may.

Watched closely 3 min of Bojan’s D during the game and felt his D-blackhole-gravity easily
He’s may be a good scorer that creates his own shots but during the playoffs he should try to chase being at least decent on D cause otherwise i see him Fourniering the bench …

I’m not falling into the trap of underestimating opponents, like Knicks fans did with the Hawks in 2021. I don’t think there is a single easy opponent for us, and am very concerned about a “be careful what you wish for” disappointment.

Obviously Brunson gives me a reason to believe, but under no circumstances am I going to think ahead to the second round. Our team has been really good at focusing on the task at hand, and I hope their mindset right now is to win all the games they can and let the chips fall where they may.

Agreed. The Knicks no doubt will try to win out. At the same time, the way things are going there is a good change we finish third and Bucks second. In such a case, the Bucks without Giannis are definitely less threatening, to say the least.

If Bucks don’t have Giannis in the 1st rd vs Philly or Miami they’re gonna lose.

Another solid win. I don’t think I’ve gone to a game where they’ve lost since I left New York. My main takeaways: 1) Brunson can not be single covered. This makes us a very tough team to shut down. 2) OG could easily be a starting pf in this league and is playing more and more like kawhi everyday. 3) Mitch is still very out of shape. I think he should try to drop 10 to 15 lbs to regain some of his athleticism. It probably would help take some of the stress off of his feet and ankles as well.

If Bucks don’t have Giannis in the 1st rd vs Philly or Miami they’re gonna lose.

They might lose even with Giannis, especially against the Sixers. They have nobody who can guard Maxey, and Lopez can’t guard Embiid either.

Glad you got us the win, gkh! Should we chip in and buy you a trip to Boston?

“1) Brunson can not be single covered. This makes us a very tough team to shut down.”

“3) Mitch is still very out of shape. I think he should try to drop 10 to 15 lbs to regain some of his athleticism. It probably would help take some of the stress off of his feet and ankles as well.”

Maybe, but it is really hard to come back from his type of injury in game shape. Hopefully he comes around.
“2) OG could easily be a starting pf in this league and is playing more and more like kawhi everyday.”

Bit of a stretch, but he’s awesome. Macri is referring to him as the skeleton key because he unlocks everything we try to do.

Most teams have a guy like that, but it sure helps that our team has one of the best!

Thanks Z-man. I am definitely willing to head to Boston for the cause. 😄

Not saying he’s Kawhi, but he’s in that mold.

As much as I hate Boston, I find it crazy that they took ZERO foul shots in a game. The refs this year are really something.

Edit: although the Bucks only took 2!

The 76ers playoff chances all depend on Embiid’s health. The matchup I’d really like to see is the 76ers vs Boston. I’m a KP fan but imo he can’t handle a healthy Embiid. Embiid is too strong. If anyone can KO Boston it would be a healthy 76ers team firing on all cylinders at the right time and Embiid having a huge series. But that’s strictly a matchup I’d like to see. The 76ers are nowhere near as good and could easily lose to a few other teams, especially if Embiid is not 100%.

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