The Chicago Bulls weren’t going to go 82-0. Out of all first games to lose, I think we can all accept last night’s 128-116 stumble at Madison Square Garden. Not only is it one of the toughest places to play, but the Knicks remain one of the most talented teams in the league. Splitting the mini-series is a win.
I also think it’s important to stress that this was the first time this young Chicago Bulls team saw an opponent for the second time this season. The shock value was gone. New York knew what to expect, and they made the right adjustments. Now, it’s up to the Bulls to make some of their own as they continue what is one of their toughest stretches of the entire season.
Anyway… 81-1 it is!
Sitting down with reporters after his team’s first loss of the season, Josh Giddey spoke about the Knicks’ 20-42 shooting night from downtown:
“When teams don’t shoot well, it obviously makes things easier for you,” Giddey told CHSN. “You don’t have to take the ball out of the net. You can run in transition. You’re playing off the misses. But, obviously, it was going to swing. Teams weren’t going to shoot 25 percent the whole year against us. We have to find ways to win when teams do shoot the ball well.”
The petty version of me would point out how many fans told me I was a crazy hater when I mentioned this same exact thing after the Bulls’ 4-0 start. Good thing I’m not petty!
Look, the Bulls deserve a lot of credit for their undefeated start to the year. They have genuinely performed well, but does a perfect record have to mean that they have been a perfect team? The three-point discrepancy was an immediate area of concern.
They had the benefit of playing the Pistons, Magic, Hawks, and Kings to begin the year. Are three of those solid teams? Sure. But Detroit, Orlando, and Sacramento rank 27th, 28th, and 29th, respectively, in three-point attempts per game. Detroit, Orlando, and Atlanta rank 18th or lower in three-point percentage this season. Those teams just aren’t real threats from downtown, and this undoubtedly inflated the Bulls’ defensive numbers.
Indeed, in their first real test against an above-average shooting team from behind the arc, they allowed a combined 38 made threes on a 43.6 percent success rate in two games. Not great! Thanks to those two games, the Bulls’ top-ranked defense has now dropped out of the Top 10 entirely.
Again, does this mean that everything about the 5-0 start was fraudulent? Of course not! But it’s a great reminder that sample size matters. The Bulls’ defense remains a pretty big question mark.
Another big factor in last night’s first loss was the charity stripe. The Bulls have been a mainstay at the free-throw line over their first five games, and they were the aggressor in their first outing against New York with a +11 finish at the free-throw line. New York was a +13 in this department the second time around.
The Bulls made more freebies than their opponents in three of their first five games overall, but they managed only nine on Sunday night, which was by far a season low. Getting to the line has become a pretty major part of this team’s identity early on, so they’re going to have to figure out how to adjust when the whistles aren’t coming.
Nevertheless, the good news is that I continue to feel pretty good about this team’s offensive ceiling. While their defensive rating has taken a hit, their offensive rating is now Top 5 in the NBA after scoring 116+ points in four straight games.
They continue to move the ball incredibly well and thus repeatedly create open shots both behind the arc and at the rim. Even against New York’s stout defense, they managed to shoot 48.4 percent or higher in back-to-back games. They also drained 17 of their own threes in each performance, which is a season high.
This team can get buckets with the best of them, and they haven’t even welcomed Coby White onto the floor yet!
*Sep 29, 2025; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) poses for photos during Chicago Bulls Media Day. Mandatory Credit: David Banks – Imagn Images*
The absence of Ayo Dosunmu last night also surely played a part in the first loss. While I’m not sure the Bulls walk away victorious if he’s on the floor, they undoubtedly needed both his energy defensively and his finishing ability offensively.
They just weren’t able to stop the bleeding at times throughout the game, and I have a feeling Dosunmu’s transition speed or knack for knocking down a timely catch-and-shoot three could have made a real difference. Let’s hope he’s back on the floor against Philly, which has one of the best backcourts in the NBA right now.
With that said, I do think last night may have been our first reminder of how important having a true superstar can be. The whole point of having someone like that is to be able to turn to them when things go south.
Chicago desperately needed a jolt of energy in the third quarter. They needed that player who could string together a couple of clutch possessions that would silence the MSG crowd. This person wasn’t on the floor.
Now, could someone on this roster still emerge as that kind of force? Sure! But the Bulls don’t know who that player is right now, and this will continue to matter throughout the year.
By the way, in case you missed it, Noa Essengue has officially been sent down.
[Chicago Bulls Send Noa Essengue Down to Join G League Training Camp](#)
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– Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter
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– How are we feeling about this Caleb Williams season?
– A Cubbies prospect took home a Gold Glove!
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The season is young, and the Bulls have plenty of basketball ahead to prove themselves. One loss isn’t the end — it’s just part of the process. Keep watching!
https://www.bleachernation.com/bulls/2025/11/03/chicago-bulls-notes-103/
