Scheduled
2026-27 · Regular season
Interactive: From 0-3 to 4-4 — how the champion Knicks reached .500 with a 30-point night, step by step
New York opened with three close losses, then won four of five, including a 135-105 rout of Chicago. Brunson's 22-point first quarter, the 84-point half, the margins and the next stop in Cleveland.
In this article
Jalen Brunson scored 33 points in 28 minutes as the Knicks beat the Bulls 135-105 on Nov. 4, 2026. Photo credit: WhyNBA graphic.Interactive · New York Knicks
From 0-3 to 4-4: how the champion Knicks reached .500 with a 30-point night, step by step
New York opened with three one-possession-range losses, then won four of five, including a 135-105 rout of Chicago. Brunson's 22-point first quarter, the 84-point half, the margins and the next stop in Cleveland.
Jalen Brunson with the championship and Finals MVP trophies. Video still posted by the NBA on X, resized.Chapter 1
30 points and .500
The New York Knicks beat the Chicago Bulls 135-105 on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at Madison Square Garden. Jalen Brunson scored 33 points in 28 minutes, Karl-Anthony Towns went 5 of 5 for 17 points and 12 rebounds, and New York led by as many as 44.
The win made the defending champions 4-4. Chicago fell to 1-7. It was New York’s largest margin of the season and the clearest night yet of the title defense.
+0final margin (135-105)
+0largest lead, late in the third
0-4Knicks record after eight games
Knicks scoring margin by game
Through eight games New York is plus-39 overall, scoring 110.0 points a game and allowing 105.1.
Jalen Brunson after the Knicks' 133-127 win over the Bulls, Oct. 28, 2026. Video still posted on X, resized.Chapter 2
Brunson's first quarter: 22 points
Chicago led 6-4 early. Then Brunson took over. He scored 22 of New York’s 43 first-quarter points, made four threes in the period and finished the quarter with the Knicks up 43-21.
0Brunson points in the first quarter
0-21Knicks first-quarter score
0threes by Brunson in the opening period
- Chicago leads 6-4. New York answers with an 18-4 run; Brunson scores 14 of the 18.
- A second run, 16-4, makes it 38-16.
- Brunson's 26-foot three makes it 43-19. The quarter ends 43-21.
- Brunson is done for the night: 10 of 17, 5 of 10 from three, 8 of 9 at the line, 4 assists, zero turnovers.
OG Anunoby finished 11 of 12 at the free-throw line with 18 points and three steals in 24 minutes.
Karl-Anthony Towns after the Knicks' 111-97 win over Detroit, Oct. 27, 2026. Image posted by the New York Knicks, resized.Chapter 3
84 points before halftime
The Knicks led 84-52 at the break. They shot 63 percent in the first half, including 50 percent from three, and tied a 38-year-old franchise record for points in a half.
0first-half points, tying a franchise record
+0halftime margin (84-52)
0%Knicks field-goal percentage before the break
Wednesday quarter scores (Knicks–Bulls)
“That was as close to a 48-minute game as our group has had yet.”— Mike Brown, Knicks coach
Karl-Anthony Towns in Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. Photo by the White House, resized.Chapter 4
The 44-point lead
Towns hit two threes in the first 53 seconds of the second half. With 2:19 left in the third, New York led 111-67 — a 44-point cushion. Chicago closed the quarter on a 12-2 run and won the fourth 26-22, but the night was already decided.
0 of 5Towns from the field (17 points, 12 rebounds)
0-34rebounding edge
0 of 40threes made by New York
New York shot 44 of 87 overall (50.6 percent), made 30 of 37 free throws and had 27 assists. Chicago shot 37 of 96 (38.5 percent) and 10 of 44 from three.
The Knicks at Madison Square Garden during the 2026 NBA Finals. Photo by the White House, resized.Chapter 5
Three tight losses to open
The title defense started with three losses by a combined 19 points. Banner night at the Garden against Philadelphia ended 106-100. Boston won 107-103 in Boston. Orlando closed with a 40-point fourth and won 111-102.
- Lost 106-100 to Philadelphia at home. Brunson had 21, Towns 19 and 12 rebounds.
- Lost 107-103 at Boston. Towns had 22 and 10; Anunoby had 20 and 10.
- Lost 111-102 to Orlando at home after a 40-27 fourth. Brunson had 28 on 12-of-28 shooting.
- Combined margin: minus-19. All three games were within single digits for most of the night.
Knicks points in the first three games
Mike Brown. Photo by Keith Allison, resized.Chapter 6
Four of five after the free fall
Since the 0-3 start the Knicks are 4-1. They beat Detroit 111-97, Chicago 133-127 on the road, lost 98-93 at Philadelphia, then beat Brooklyn 103-90 and Chicago again by 30.
Last five results (points for / against)
0-1record in the last five
+0margin across those five games
0Brunson's points in the first Chicago win
“We have to hit singles.”— Mike Brown, after the loss in Philadelphia at 2-4
The Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Photo by Jean-Baptiste Bellet, resized.Chapter 7
Where the margin lives
Across eight games New York is plus-18 in the first quarter and plus-14 in the second, minus-5 in the third and plus-12 in the fourth. The Bulls blowout alone was plus-32 at half.
Season quarter margins (eight games)
+0season scoring margin
0points per game
0points allowed per game
Brunson has scored 21, 19, 28, 23, 38, 24, 19 and 33 across the eight games — 205 points, 25.6 a night.
Madison Square Garden. Photo by Julien Menichini, resized.Chapter 8
Next: Cleveland, then Milwaukee
The Knicks visit the Cavaliers on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 8:00 p.m. ET (3:00 a.m. Sunday in Cairo). Cleveland is 4-4 and coming off a 124-116 loss at Oklahoma City. Then Milwaukee and a home rematch with Cleveland follow.
- Knicks at Cavaliers, 8:00 p.m. ET (3:00 a.m. Sunday Cairo)
- Bucks at Knicks, Madison Square Garden
- Cavaliers at Knicks, Madison Square Garden
- New York is 4-4 with a plus-39 margin after eight games. The blowout of Chicago is the first 30-point win of the season.
Four of five after an 0-3 start. A franchise-record-tying half. Brunson for 22 before the first quarter ended. The champions are back to .500.
Scores, quarter scores, shooting lines and rebounding figures come from the official box scores through Wednesday, Nov. 4. Records and margins are as of Thursday, Nov. 5. The quotes are from post-game remarks after the Bulls win and after the earlier loss in Philadelphia.
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