On Monday, the now last-place New York Knicks wasted a fourth-quarter comeback and lost to the Chicago Bulls 110-102. Wednesday, New York had the chance to split the two-game tilt and hoped for a better performance from all involved.
This had the makings of a chippy game from the start. Coach Tom Thibodeau facing off against the Bulls, a team he once coached. On the Chicago side stood coach Billy Donovan, who briefly played for the Knicks in the ’80s.
Moreover, the Bulls clearly entered this two-game set feeling cocky, maybe because a miniseries about when they were actually good recently aired.