Knicks at Bulls: How & Who to Watch as Windy City Doubleheader Tips Off

The New York Knicks will look to extend their longest winning streak of the season in a pair against the Chicago Bulls.

Coming in on a four-game winning streak ... three of those triumphs coming against competition currently ranked in their respective conference's top eight ... the New York Knicks perhaps can't help but think they have a little something more to prove. 

The Knicks get a strong opportunity to do so on Wednesday night when they battle the Chicago Bulls in a nationally televised Eastern Conference showdown. It'll be the first game of a de facto Windy City doubleheader as United Center will host the Knicks again on Friday night.

New York's latest win, another double-figure tally via a 112-99 final over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, lost both Julius Randle (ejection) and Jalen Brunson (foot injury) for varied reasons, but the pair still managed to unite for 45 points. Randle posted a game-best 27, all of them coming in the first half, and was later tied by RJ Barrett. It was the Knicks' fourth consecutive double-figure victory; they haven't had five in a row in such fashion since March 2014. 

To do so, the Knicks will face a Chicago group trying to find itself after a slow 6-10 start. A brief winning streak came to an end in heartbreaking fashion on Sunday when the Bulls dropped a 123-122 overtime decision to Atlanta. Chicago, rounding out the Eastern Conference's automatic six playoff spots last year, is looking to create consecutive playoff berths for the first time since 2009-15. 

Each of the Knicks and Bulls' three meetings this season will be staged over the next 10 days, with Madison Square Garden welcoming Chicago on Dec. 23. The two sides split four meetings last year, with the Knicks taking the most recent get-together in March. 

What: New York Knicks (14-13) @ Chicago Bulls (11-15)

Where: United Center, Chicago, IL

When/Watch: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG/ESPN

Who's Favored: CHI -4

Keep An Eye On: Derrick Rose

There would be no better place for Rose's NBA re-entry than Chicago, his hometown and the site of his professional heyday. As the homecoming looms, Rose has fallen out of head coach Tom Thibodeau's latest attempt at a nine-man rotation but the former Bulls boss' hand might be forced: while it's certainly an inspiring sign that Brunson is questionable after a painful Sunday ... enduring both hip and ankle woes in the win over Sacramento ... the Knicks will probably try to do everything in their power to keep their $104 million man healthy.

Rose has done what he can to keep his spirits and liveliness up in the wake of his dramatic slash in minutes.

“(I'm) just trying to be a professional about it,” Rose said, per the New York Daily News. “(I) still talk to the young guys.Its not like I don’t like anybody on the team. I’m acting the same. I’m not phony or anything like that, just try to do my conditioning keep my wind up and try to find a rhythm whenever I go out and play.”

Immanuel Quickley and Miles McBride are poised to become the primary frontcourt options if Brunson can't go, but one can do far worse than the services of a former MVP when it comes to strapped depth. Rose has been welcomed back warmly by Bulls fans in each of his returns to the Windy City and the Knicks could certainly use some vintage Rose antics to keep ther winning streak alive ... if, of course, Rose is granted entry in the first place.

Get up or get out the way!@DeMar_DeRozan | @NBCSChicago pic.twitter.com/Fu3qF2eoZw

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 5, 2022

Bull to Watch: DeMar DeRozan

The Knicks' recent good fortunes have featured dominant, crushing defensive efforts, allowing just over 92 in the victorious span. Wednesday's work will thus have to center around shutting down DeRozan, who continues to play some of the finest offensive basketball of his career during his second Chicago season.

As Chicago lingers in the mire of mediocrity of the Play-In Tournament (one game behind 10th-place Miami entering Wednesday action), some have beseeched the Bulls to embrace another rebuild stretch, one that would probably be headlined by DeRozan deal (and push them into Victor Wembanyama territory). The former Toronto Raptor hasn't led the rumors bother him, as he's averaging 29.6 over his last three games, a stretch that includes a 34-point showing against the Hawks on Sunday. 

The Knicks have made a habit of taking star attractions out of the game as they've risen up the East's leaderboard: this ongoing streak started with Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell shooting a combined 13-of-41 from the field at Madison Square Garden while recurring foe Trae Young shot 9-of-20 in a previous nationally televised win last Wednesday.

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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