N.Y. Knicks: Kemba Walker Leads Effort Against Bulls

From the desk: KICKIN' CANS DOWN 33RD STREET WIT' JIMMY

THURSDAY

Knicks   104

BULLS  103

FINAL

Julius Randle Does Heavy Lifting

Don't look now, but the Knicks are among the conference leaders with a 4-1 record and second behind the Charlotte Hornets with 115.8 points per game.

Offseason acquisition Kemba Walker was front and center at Chicago as the Bockers handed the Bulls their first loss.  Walker led the way with a team-high 21 points, converting 5/6 from beyond the arc in 29 minutes.  At one point during the third quarter, he led the Knicks on an 8-0 run to put them up by nine.

RJ Barrett notched his first 20-point game on 8/15 from the floor and 3/3 from the line.  

With his accuracy out of whack, Julius Randle played workhorse with a game-high 16 rebounds and nine assists.  He attempted only the team's fourth-most shots, finishing just 3/11 for 13 points in a team-high 35 minutes.  

Playing before an appreciative crowd, Derrick Rose led the bench effort with twelve points in 19 minutes.

The Knicks took a 55-51 lead into the half and led 82-73 after three.  But the Bulls charged back with 30 points in the fourth quarter.  DeMar DeRozan missed a last-second attempt from midrange, and the Knicks won by one.