Despite clutch game-tying shots by Allonzo Trier in regulation and Emmanuel Mudiay in double overtime, Zach LaVine hit a free throw with 0.2 seconds remaining in the second overtime after a Mudiay foul as the Knicks lost to the Chicago Bulls 116-115 on Monday at Madison Square Garden.
Things to know about Monday's game
1. Mudiay tied the game with a fastbreak layup with 2.7 seconds remaining to tie the game at 115, but he fouled LaVine on a shot attempt in the final second. LaVine hit the first free throw and missed the second as New York fell to 3-7.
2. Trier scored 11 of his 21 points in the final 5:17 of regulation, including a 27-foot 3-pointer with 41.9 seconds remaining to tie the game at 102. With 3 seconds left, though, he missed a potential game-winning jumper and Mario Hezonja missed a put-back layup attempt that forced overtime.
3. In the first overtime, LaVine, who scored a game-high 41 points, made a game-tying shot with 1:13 remaining to tie the game at 108, but stepped out of bounds with 2.1 seconds remaining after Mudiay turned the ball over on the previous inbound pass.
4. Trier scored 16 points over the final 16 minutes of the game. Enes Kanter recorded 23 points and 24 rebounds in 41 minutes off the bench, while Damyean Dotson scored 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Kevin Knox scored two points in five minutes in his return from an ankle injury.
5. Wendell Carter Jr. recorded a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls (2-8), who led 78-72 at the end of the third quarter and took a five-point lead with 2:02 remaining in regulation before Trier went on a 5-0 run.
6. The Knicks' starting lineup of Trier, Dotson, Frank Ntilikina, Noah Vonleh and Mitchell Robinson had an average age of 21.8 years and was the youngest starting lineup in franchise history.
This kid @ISO_ZO is big time. pic.twitter.com/GLvGTvqB7M
- NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 6, 2018
Welcome back, @KevKnox. pic.twitter.com/egpthzNi5X
- NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 6, 2018
Big man is ballin' pic.twitter.com/VVlhCe4COK
- NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 6, 2018
Jake Brown | Twitter |
Knicks fans have to be sick to their stomach after losing that game the way they did. Refs usually will let them play in that situation, but it was just awful timing to hack LaVine. It doesn't get any closer than that. LaVine shined at a rocking Madison Square Garden, dropping 41 points in 49 minutes. What a heartbreaking loss for the Knicks, who fought back to tie this game and somehow force OT and then double OT when they looked down and out on multiple occasions. Nobody could have guessed Knicks-Bulls, a battle of two of the NBA's worst teams, would create a double-OT thriller.
The Knicks clearly missed Tim Hardaway Jr., as their offense struggled to score at times without their leading scorer. Trier continues to show every team that he clearly should have been drafted, hitting some big shots down the stretch. Kanter was the star for the Knicks, finishing with 24 points, 23 rebounds and seven assists. He's just the second player in NBA history to score 20 points, grab 20 boards and record five-plus assists off the bench. The other? Charles Barkley.
One surprising positive was Mudiay, who had his best game as a Knick with 16 points. They need Mudiay to continue to be a spark off the bench. One negative is Hezonja's erratic play. Coach David Fizdale told him to keep firing away, but he may need to slow down on that front. He takes some wild, long shots that usually are bricks to go along with some shaky defense. Knox returned, but only played five minutes. They'll ease him back into play. It was yet another close, hard-fought loss by the Knicks, but hey, they are making nearly every game must-watch basketball. At least that's a bright spot.
What's next:
The Knicks face the Atlanta Hawks on the road Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.