About this episode
The New York Knicks suffer a crushing 135-125 defeat to Chicago Bulls, marking their third consecutive loss. Can Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart overcome their struggles before this skid spirals? Gavin Schall dissects the Knicks' defensive collapse that surrendered 72 first-half points, with Karl-Anthony Towns' catastrophic fourth-quarter lapses costing New York the game despite his 17-point second half. Josh Hart's finger injury complications and role adjustment issues have him playing as a major liability right now, raising questions about whether he should sit to fully recover. The analysis covers the starting lineup's encouraging plus-13 performance in limited minutes, Jalen Brunson's elite playmaking with 29 points and 7 assists, and explosive offensive showings from Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby. Key topics include player-by-player defensive breakdowns, Towns' cement-footed off-ball awareness, Hart reiterating he won't get finger surgery, and whether the Knicks' secondary ball-handling questions are finally being answered. Discover why this loss reveals both the Knicks' championship ceiling and their current defensive floor. Timestamps 0:00 Intro 0:31 Knicks lose third straight to Bulls 1:33 Defensive breakdown: 72 first-half points allowed 3:04 Mikal Bridges struggles on-ball defensively 4:36 Josh Hart's defensive liabilities continue 7:09 Mitchell Robinson limited by stretch fives 8:40 Karl-Anthony Towns loses game down the stretch 11:14 KAT's offensive bounce-back in second half 13:47 Towns' inattentive off-ball defense costs Knicks 16:21 KAT's aggressive second-half attacking pays off 18:25 Josh Hart's finger injury update and timeline 21:27 Hart's ego and adjustment to new role 22:59 Hart should sit to regain health 24:30 Starting five shows promise in limited minutes 27:02 Jalen Brunson's improved playmaking and decision-making 29:36 Mikal Bridges and OG's elite offensive performances 32:38 OG Anunoby's aggressive drives and ball-handling Want to talk hoops with us? 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