Knicks Vs Bulls: Karl‑Anthony Towns' late takeover hands Knicks 105-99 win; Bulls have a clear direction of bottoming out

The immediate impact of the knicks vs bulls result landed squarely on both rosters: the Knicks escaped with a win thanks to Karl‑Anthony Towns' late surge, while the Bulls slipped deeper into a nine‑game losing streak that underlines their direction of bottoming out. That split — a confidence injection for New York and another step toward a reset for Chicago — will shape how each team closes the stretch.

Who felt it first: rosters and short‑term momentum

For the Knicks, the win reinforces reliance on Towns in high‑leverage moments; for the Bulls, the loss sharpens pressure on an undermanned lineup. The Bulls are now 24-34 and have lost nine straight, their worst streak since 2019, and the sequence of restricted minutes and recent trades has pushed them toward the bottoming out the context described.

Knicks Vs Bulls — decisive sequences that decided the final margin

Townes took over down the stretch Sunday, scoring seven of his team’s final 11 points as the Knicks escaped with a 105-99 win. The result felt in doubt until Mikal Bridges buried a corner 3‑pointer with 26 seconds left off an assist from Jalen Brunson, who kicked out the pass to his wide‑open teammate. That shot provided a six‑point cushion and closed the book on a tense finish.

How lineups and transactions shaped the fourth quarter

The Bulls entered the closing minutes with limitations: three of their starters were operating on minutes restrictions and didn’t play most of the fourth quarter. Chicago also saw three of their best veterans — Coby White and Nikola Vucevic included — shipped off before the trade deadline, a combination that left depth and experience in short supply during crunch time.

Player production and defensive notes

The center finished with 29 points and 11 rebounds, both team highs, and knocked down five of his nine trey attempts. Brunson added 19 points and nine assists. Towns also collected three steals and earned defensive player‑of‑the‑game honors from the coaching staff for his overall work. Coach Mike Brown praised the group for finding a way and highlighted Towns' double‑double and defensive impact for the victory.

Chicago’s contributions and the game flow

Guerschon Yabusele — who was phased out of the Knicks rotation this season and traded before the deadline — started at center for Chicago and produced nine points with eight rebounds in the first half; he finished with 11 points and 13 boards in 30 minutes. The Bulls led by eight in the second quarter and were ahead by a point with under three minutes left in the fourth, before KAT took over and swung the finish toward New York.

Here’s the part that matters: fatigue and roster shakeups were visible on both sides. The Knicks arrived Sunday under less‑than‑ideal circumstances — they played a late‑night thriller Saturday night with an 8: 30 p. m. tipoff against the Rockets, then flew across a time zone to play in the Midwest — yet still closed the tighter moments better.

• Final score: Knicks 105, Bulls 99.
• Karl‑Anthony Towns: 29 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals; 5-of-9 from deep.
• Jalen Brunson: 19 points, 9 assists.
• Guerschon Yabusele (for Chicago): 11 points, 13 rebounds in 30 minutes (9 & 8 in the first half).
• Team records noted in the game: Knicks 37-21, Bulls 24-34; Chicago on a nine‑game skid, worst since 2019.

The bigger signal here is the contrast between acute resilience and structural erosion: New York found late‑game solutions; Chicago's accumulated restrictions and offseason moves are translating into a pronounced losing stretch. The real question now is how each side manages the next stretch of games with those forces in play.

Key takeaways:

• Karl‑Anthony Towns took over late and was the decisive closer for the Knicks.
• The Bulls’ nine‑game losing streak has historical scale (their worst since 2019) and coincides with minutes restrictions and recent trades.
• Mikal Bridges’ corner 3 with 26 seconds left — set up by Brunson — created the safe margin after a tense fourth quarter.
• Knicks overcame travel and a late tip the night before to secure the win.

Recent updates indicate player availability and the effects of the deadline moves were central to how this game played out; details may evolve as teams adjust rotations and minutes in coming games.