Knicks Vs Bulls: Towns Takes Over Late as New York Survives 105-99 in Chicago (Feb 22, 2026)
In a Feb. 22, 2026 game in Chicago that finished 105-99, the Knicks escaped the sliding Bulls in a contest defined by a late Karl-Anthony Towns surge and several roster absences. Knicks Vs Bulls appears here as a tight finish where late-play sequences and personnel moves determined the outcome.
Knicks Vs Bulls: late surge and the final sequence
One account lists Karl-Anthony Towns with 28 points and 11 rebounds, marking his NBA-leading 39th double-double, while another account lists him with 29 points and 11 rebounds as the team scoring leader. Those accounts also differ slightly on the final sequence: one description credits Towns with six straight points — a 3-pointer, a layup and a free throw — after Chicago took a 95-94 lead with 3: 52 left on a Matas Buzelis 3, while another frames Towns as scoring seven of the Knicks’ final 11 points as New York pulled away. Both descriptions agree that Mikal Bridges drilled a late 3-pointer in the corner with roughly the final half-minute remaining (noted as 27 seconds in one account and 26 seconds in another), and Jalen Brunson iced the game with two free throws.
Final stretch: threes, free throws and defensive plays
Brunson finished with 19 points and nine assists. Towns was credited with defensive impact as well, with one account noting he collected three steals and was awarded defensive player of the game honors by the coaching staff. The differing tallies and play counts in postgame descriptions reflect multiple detailed takes on the same closing minutes, but the decisive elements cited are Towns’ late scoring and Bridges’ corner three followed by Brunson’s free throws.
Player performances and in-game flow
Landry Shamet added 16 points for the Knicks. For Chicago, Matas Buzelis had 15 points and Guerschon Yabusele finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Jalen Smith scored 12 points before leaving in the third quarter with right calf tightness; Isaac Okoro also had 12 points. Game flow details include Chicago leading 53-52 at halftime, New York opening a 13-point third-quarter lead thanks to a 21-10 run, and the Knicks holding an 83-78 edge heading into the fourth.
Roster context: injuries, trades and minutes restrictions
The Bulls were without injured guards Jaden Ivey and Anfernee Simons, both of whom were acquired at the trade deadline. Three Bulls starters were operating on minutes restrictions and did not play most of the fourth quarter, and three veteran players — with Coby White and Nikola Vucevic included among them — had been shipped off before the trade deadline. On the New York side, the Knicks played without center Mitchell Robinson, who sat out for left ankle injury management.
Records, recent form and travel factors
One summary lists the Bulls at 24-34 and notes this was their ninth straight loss, their longest skid since a 10-game slide in January 2019; another summary also cites the ninth straight defeat and describes the team as heading toward bottoming out. The Knicks are noted as 37-21 in one account and this win was their second straight victory. New York arrived under less-than-ideal circumstances after a late-night Saturday game: the Knicks had overcome an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Houston 108-106 in New York on Saturday and were listed as having played an 8: 30 p. m. tipoff against the Rockets before flying across a time zone to play in the Midwest.
Unresolved details and next steps
Some statistical and timing details differ across postgame descriptions — for example, the exact final point total attributed to Towns and whether he scored six straight points or seven of the final 11. Those differences are unclear in the provided context. What is clear in the available accounts is that defensive plays, late outside shooting and free throws decided a 105-99 final in Chicago on Feb. 22, 2026, with the Knicks prevailing and the Bulls extending a long losing streak.
