Balanced attack helps Knicks stop Bulls, end losing streak
Mitchell Robinson scored 23 points, Julius Randle added 22 points and both players snagged 10 rebounds to cap double-doubles, helping the host New York Knicks snap a six-game losing streak with a 125-115 victory against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.
New York opened a five-game homestand with its first win at Madison Square Garden since Feb. 6. The Knicks are just 9-20 at home this season.
Chicago lost for the 10th time in 11 games despite a game-high 26 points by Zach LaVine. The Bulls finished 1-8 in February to fall a season-low 20 games under .500.
Elfrid Payton doled out 10 assists to fuel a balanced Knicks attack that produced six double-figure scorers. RJ Barrett had 19 points, while Taj Gibson (17), Kevin Knox II (12) and Bobby Portis (10) followed.
Coby White scored 22 points for Chicago, which also received double-figure efforts from Thaddeus Young (15 points) and Daniel Gafford (12).
New York led by as many as 17 points in the third quarter before Chicago trimmed the deficit to 89-86 entering the fourth. The Bulls came no closer than 95-93 down the stretch before successive treys from Knox and Wayne Ellington helped the Knicks create breathing room.
Wendell Carter Jr. had six points and nine rebounds in 18 minutes for the Bulls. Saturday marked Carter's first action since Jan. 6 after he missed 22 games with a high ankle sprain.
New York stormed to 42 points in the paint in the first half en route to taking a 66-53 lead into the break. The Bulls rallied to take a 51-50 lead on a Young trey with 3:43 to go in the second quarter, but the Knicks closed the half on a 16-2 run to seize control.
Barrett scored seven points during the surge, punctuating the run with a 3-pointer with 14.1 seconds to go before halftime. He had 17 points at the break on 7-for-8 shooting.
Plagued with injuries for much of the season, the Bulls also welcomed the return of Denzel Valentine, who missed the past seven games with hamstring issues.
White also played after his status was uncertain entering the weekend. The rookie guard injured his back before Thursday's practice.
For the Knicks, Frank Ntilikina returned after a three-game absence with a groin injury, while Gibson was in the rotation after missing a game with a back injury.
New York has won two of the first three meetings between the teams this season. The Bulls and Knicks are set to close the regular-season series on March 28 at United Center.
--Field Level Media
