Kemba Walker #8 of the New York Knicks forces a jump ball with Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on October 28, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images/AFP
Kemba Walker scored 21 points and RJ Barrett added 20 as the visiting New York Knicks withstood a late rally from the previously unbeaten Chicago Bulls in a 104-103 win on Thursday.
Walker shot 5-for-6 from 3-point range for New York, which outrebounded the Bulls by 12 and improved to 4-1.
The Knicks moved ahead 104-91 with 2:59 to play on Randle’s basket before Chicago closed the game on a 12-0 run.
The Bulls pulled within 104-103 on Zach LaVine’s dunk with 9.5 seconds left and had a chance to complete their comeback after New York’s Julius Randle missed two free throws with 5.1 seconds left.
The Knicks escaped when DeMar DeRozan shot an airball on a midrange jumper as time expired.
Stay hot, @KembaWalker.
18 PTS / 5-6 3P / 18 MIN pic.twitter.com/lXt7E9SmK2
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) October 29, 2021
Chicago, which entered the contest as the Eastern Conference’s last undefeated team, trailed for much of the game and never led by more than four points.
Zach LaVine scored 17 of his 25 points in the first half for the Bulls, who were seeking their first 5-0 start since the 1995-96 season.
Nikola Vucevic had 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Bulls while DeRozan added 20 points.
Randle, who entered the game averaging a team-high 25.5 points, finished with 13 points on 3-of-11 shooting but filled the stat sheet with 16 rebounds and nine assists.
LIVE: Coach Billy Donovan and Bulls players after tonight’s loss to the Knicks https://t.co/DDCkDvAGzK
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) October 29, 2021
Derrick Rose scored 12 points and Evan Fournier added 10 for the Knicks, who have won their last three meetings against the Bulls.
New York used a 14-0 run to take an early 16-6 lead and entered the half with a 55-51 advantage.
The Knicks extended their lead to 81-69 late in the third quarter on Rose’s 3-pointer and led by as many as 13 before Chicago closed the quarter with four straight points.
Bulls forward Patrick Williams exited early in the third quarter with a left wrist injury and did not return.
The Bulls honored Joakim Noah during the game at the United Center and named him as a new team ambassador. Noah spent nine of his 13 NBA seasons with Chicago.