Knicks Will Demolish Tanking Bulls

Bulls vs. Knicks, 7:30 ET

We are almost at the NBA Playoffs, and that is one of my favorite times of the year. I love hoops any time, but there is more excitement, interest, and effort from the players, which makes the games much better. There is still about another week or two before the postseason starts. Some games will be exciting as teams jockey for position, and others will be terrible as teams tank to try and grab one of the big guys in the upcoming draft. This one will have one of each team, giving us an opportunity to grab some cash as the Bulls take on the Knicks. 

The Bulls have finally done what they were supposed to do for years. Instead of middling around and hoping they’d catch lightning in a bottle with a bad roster, they traded pieces away and are trying to bottom out. How bad are the Bulls? Mac McClung is getting minutes. Shots at a G-League guy aside, the Bulls are trying to tank. And that’s specifically what they should be doing. Chicago has some guys to build around – Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis look like they both will be good. The rest of the team? Pretty brutal. Collin Sexton is fine if you need a guy to get some buckets. Rob Dillingham could be a good backup point guard. The problem is that this is a superstar league, and they do not have a superstar. I expect the Bulls to continue tanking and trying hard to not to win a game the remainder of the season. 

Feb 4, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA;   Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) dunks the ball against the Miami Heat during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Knicks are not trying to tank, but they’ve only won one of their past four games. The Knicks are 49-28 for the season, but they are 22-19 on the road as opposed to 27-9 at home. Can you really trust this team in the playoffs? I suppose it is possible that they have a second gear that they haven’t shown this season, after all the years under Thibs. I would expect everyone to be available for the Knicks, not because they need everyone to beat the Bulls, but because they want to assure themselves of a win. They have to keep winning to keep climbing up the Eastern Conference standings. They are currently third, but they could move up to second. I believe first place is no longer a possibility. 

This game features two teams on completely opposite sides of the Conference. The Knicks look like a team that at least has the potential to win the NBA Championship. The Bulls are a team that only hopes to win the NBA Draft Lottery. The Bulls have lost five straight and nine of 11 games. In those nine losses, they only had one game within one possession. The average margin of loss was 14.5 points. They lost by 19 at home to the Pacers. They are not trying to win games. The Knicks at home have won games by 16.5. Give me the Knicks to cover the big number. 

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