Winning Jumper Rims Out, Ruining Big Knick Comeback. Chicago 124 NY 123

November 15, 2024 LouV 2024-25 0

The Knicks were down by 22 points to the Bulls, 90-68, with 3:53 left in the 3rd quarter when they launched a ferocious comeback — outscoring the Bulls 29-6, to take a 97-96 lead with 9:06 left in the 4th quarter.

The game then see-sawed until the closing seconds, when Coby White missed a 3 with 3 seconds left that would have given NY a 123-122 win — but Josh Hart, defending from behind, was called for a foul despite replays showing he barely touched White’s hair — which is in a big Afro. The Knicks had no challenge left, having lost it early in the game when Miles McBride asked NY to challenge a call where a ball clearly went off his foot. So White got and hit 3 free throws.

The Knicks still had 3 seconds to try and tie or win it — Jalen Brunson got the ball in the right baseline and got off a 15-footer that rimmed in and out — and Chicago had the 124-123 win, on a Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

The loss not only ruined the big comeback but also a tremendous night by Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 46 points on 18-30 shooting (6-12 from 3) with 10 rebounds and 3 assists. Towns was uncharacteristically 4-8 from the free throw line, missing 2 free throws in the 4th quarter that cost NY.

Cameron Payne also played a huge role in the comeback, hitting 3’s and playing tenacious defense.

“They called a foul, it’s a foul,” said Josh Hart afterwards. “Inexcusable mistake.”

“It’s a work in progress,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “I like that in the 2nd half, once we realized we had to dig — I liked the mental toughness that we showed to fight to put ourselves to put ourselves in position to win the game at the end, and we fell short.”

NY falls to 5-6; Chicago improves to 5-7.

1. Knicks Looked Tired from Game Before

The Knicks looked stuck in cement for most of the first 3 quarters of the game — in fact we were in the process of tweeting that when Mike Breen said “the Knicks look stuck in mud” on the broadcast. NY looked tired after having just had a ferocious finish the night before in beating Philadelphia in Philly, in an in-season tournament game.

And Chicago were playing a feisty game and hitting their shots. Josh Giddy (6 assists and a +19) was distributing, Nikola Vucevic was tough inside (9-14 for 19 pts), Patrick Williams was en route to 18 pts on 6-9 shooting (3-4 from 3), and Zach LaVine was in high form scoring like a zepher inside and out — en route to 31 pts on 12-17 shooting (4-8 from 3).

The one Bull the Knicks seemed to have under control was Coby White — forcing him into a poor 6-16 shooting night (2-9 from 3).

2. McBride’s Early Challenge Request Costly

With 1:46 left in the 1st quarter, and Chicago up 27-20, a ball went out of bounds off Deuce McBride’s foot — but he immediately called over to Thibodeau and the Knick bench to challenge. The replay showed it clearly going off his foot.

The Knicks lost the challenge — and therefore had no challenge to use on the Hart seeming-non-foul on Coby White at the end of the game.

3. NY Launches Comeback with 29-6 Run

Down 90-68 with 3:53 left in the 3rd quarter, one could only feel bad for the fans in attendance at the sold-out Madison Square Garden. And then:

  • Mikal Bridges hit a 3 — NY was down by 19.
  • The Knicks increased their defensive intensity. LaVine missed a 3.
  • Karl-Anthony Towns hit a 3 — NY was down by 16.
  • The Bulls called timeout.
  • Mikal Bridges stole the ball, missed a drive, but Josh Hart got an offensive rebound and put back — NY was down by 14.
  • Giddey missed a jumper; Cameron Payne hit a 3 — NY was down by 11.
  • The Bulls called another timeout.
  • Coby White missed a 3; Josh Hart drove for a layup — NY was down by 9.
  • Matas Buzelis missed a drive; Mikal Bridges hit a 14-footer — NY was down by 7.
  • Coby White traveled; Karl-Anthony Towns dunked off a Mikal Bridges assist — NY was down by 5 at the end of the 3rd quarter!

17 straight Knick points.

The start of the 4th was more of the same; Chicago finally broke the schneid with a Patrick Williams dunk but Karl-Anthony Towns came right back with a drive, and a minute later Mikel Bridges hit a J, and Cameron Payne hit another 3 and NY was down by a point, at 93-92.

A Josh Hart drive with 9:06 left gave NY the lead, at 97-96.

4. See-Saw Final 9 Minutes

And then Chicago regained their footing — due in large part to back-to-back 3’s by Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips with 8:46 and 8:14 left.

Karl-Anthony Towns was a BEAST for NY down the stretch — attacking the basket at will and hitting 3’s as well. But he missed consecutive free throws with 5:56 left– which haunted him and the team afterwards. As soon as the game ended, Towns could be seen on the court, practicing free throws.

Cameron Payne continued to hit big shots. Zach LaVine and Dosunmu kept scoring for Chicago and with 2:15 left, Coby White finally hit a big 3 and Chicago was back up by 4 pts.

5. The Frenetic Final Plays

But NY came back — an OG Anunoby dunk with 1:37 left pulled NY within 2 and then a Karl-Anthony Towns drive tied the game with 1:10 left. But Towns banged knees and winced in pain. He stayed in the game but the Knicks would go to Brunson for the final plays.

And after the Knick defense forced Zach LaVine into a turnover, Brunson hit a 20-foot step back with 37 seconds left to give NY the lead, 121-119.

Dosunmu made free throws after Brunson was called for a foul; tie game.

But Brunson came down and made a drive to put NY up 123-121 with 4 seconds left.

All NY had to do was prevent the 3.

Chicago inbounded the ball — got it to Coby White — he took the 3 — Josh Hart came over to defend from behind — barely grazing the top of White’s Afro — FOUL called.

NY had no challenge. White hit 3 free throws. Chicago 124 NY 123.

With 3 seconds left NY got the ball to Brunson on the right baseline, he made his move, got a good shot up — it rimmed in, and out. Ballgame.

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401704785

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*