The New York Knicks secured a hard-fought 133-127 victory over the Chicago Bulls at the United Center, thanks to a high-performing bench unit that kept Mikal Bridges sidelined for nearly the entire second half.
Bridges, who has faced early-season struggles, logged just 13 minutes of playing time and scored only three points. Apart from two separate occasions where he was subbed in briefly solely to protect his consecutive games played streak, Wednesday’s contest marked his shortest appearance since joining the Knicks.
Knicks coach Mike Brown explained that his decision to keep Bridges on the bench stemmed from the strong chemistry and effectiveness of his reserve backcourt. Assistant coach Rick Brunson suggested pairing Tyler Kolek alongside Jalen Brunson to create a different look on the floor, allowing Jalen to play off the ball while Kolek handled floor-general duties.
That backcourt adjustment, paired with extended minutes for Jordan Clarkson and strong play from Landry Shamet, left little room to return to the starting lineup combination. Kolek, Clarkson, and Shamet combined to deliver 41 points and 15 assists for New York.
Shamet contributed 14 points off the bench, though his night included a brief injury scare. With 9:26 remaining in the second quarter, Shamet limped toward the locker room after twisting his ankle. Having just completed a dunk, he clipped his foot on a Bulls defender while taking a step. Like his teammates, however, Shamet made a swift return to the floor.
Karl-Anthony Towns also weathered an early injury concern during a physical first half. Midway through the opening quarter, Towns caught the ball at the elbow and suffered a hard fall to the court following contact from Chicago defender Noa Essengue. Writhing in pain on the hardwood, Towns clutched his injured left hand and retreated to the locker room.
The absence proved brief. Towns quickly re-emerged with his hand and wrist heavily taped, resuming his usual role without missing a beat. He finished the game with a double-double, recording 19 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists.
“He was still shooting that thing from 30 feet,” Brown said of Towns following the victory. “So the wrist looked good to me.”
With the reserves maintaining momentum and key starters recovering quickly from first-half scares, the Knicks successfully navigated the contest to seal the 133-127 road win.
