3rd Quarter Report
Down nine at the end of the second quarter, the Bulls now have the lead. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Knicks 104-89.
If the Bulls keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 16-19 in no time. On the other hand, the Knicks will have to make due with a 24-12 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
New York Knicks @ Chicago Bulls
Current Records: New York 24-11, Chicago 15-19
How To Watch
- When: Saturday, January 4, 2025 at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: United Center — Chicago, Illinois
- TV: NBATV
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $169.00
What to Know
The Bulls will be in front of their home fans on Saturday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. They will host the New York Knicks at 8:00 p.m. ET at United Center. The Bulls might want some stickum for this one as the team gave up 20 turnovers on Wednesday.
The experts predicted the Bulls would be headed in after a victory, but the Wizards made sure that didn’t happen. The match between the Bulls and the Wizards wasn’t particularly close, with the Bulls falling 125-107.
Zach LaVine put forth a good effort for the losing side as he went 12 for 20 en route to 32 points plus two steals. What’s more, he also posted a 60% field goal percentage, which is the highest he’s posted since back in November of 2024.
Meanwhile, after a string of nine wins, the Knicks’ good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They fell 117-107 to the Thunder. New York was up 66-52 in the second but couldn’t hold on to the lead.
Despite their defeat, the Knicks saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Karl-Anthony Towns, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 22 rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Towns has been hot recently, having posted 13 or more rebounds the last four times he’s played. Jalen Brunson, on the other hand, was considerably less helpful: he went 0-5 from long range.
Chicago’s loss dropped their record down to 15-19. As for New York, their defeat ended an eight-game streak of away wins and brought them to 24-11.
The Bulls won a contest that couldn’t have been any closer in their previous matchup back in November of 2024, slipping by the Knicks 124-123. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Towns, who dropped a double-double on 46 points and ten rebounds. Now that he’s got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Bulls still be able to contain Towns? Check CBSSports.com after the match to find out.
Odds
New York is a solid 5.5-point favorite against Chicago, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Knicks as a 6-point favorite.
The over/under is 233.5 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
New York has won 6 out of their last 10 games against Chicago.
- Nov 13, 2024 – Chicago 124 vs. New York 123
- Apr 14, 2024 – New York 120 vs. Chicago 119
- Apr 09, 2024 – New York 128 vs. Chicago 117
- Apr 05, 2024 – Chicago 108 vs. New York 100
- Jan 03, 2024 – New York 116 vs. Chicago 100
- Dec 23, 2022 – Chicago 118 vs. New York 117
- Dec 16, 2022 – New York 114 vs. Chicago 91
- Dec 14, 2022 – New York 128 vs. Chicago 120
- Mar 28, 2022 – New York 109 vs. Chicago 104
- Dec 02, 2021 – Chicago 119 vs. New York 115
