The Chicago Bulls head back to the United Center to take on the reigning NBA Champion New York Knicks on Wednesday night. 

The Knicks won the 2026 NBA Finals by taking down the San Antonio Spurs 4–1, capturing their first championship in 53 years. New York plays with a high effort level defensively and combines that with an inside-out offense with shooting at every position. 

The Bulls lost last year's season series against the Knicks, 3-1, although Chicago's lone win against the Knicks last season was a convincing 135-125 win, in which the Bulls used a career-high 32 points from Josh Giddey to get off to their best regular season start in almost three decades. 

Chicago hopes to have a repeat of last season in terms of catching the Eastern Conference powerhouse Knicks off-guard early in the season. 

New York is on the second leg of a back-to-back, coming off a 111-97 win over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. 

Chicago-area native Jalen Brunson is averaging a modest-for-him 22.8 points per game over four games. He scored 23 points on 5-of-18 shooting in the win against Detroit, but that scoring performance included 13-of-16 shooting from the free-throw line, showcasing Brunson's ability to wreck opposing defenses even when his shot isn't falling. 

The Bulls currently rank 27th in Defensive Rating (120.2), meanwhile the Knicks rank 7th in DRtg at 107.9. The Knicks offense is struggling mightily to open the season, and Chicago will be looking to avoid being the team to help reignite the Knicks offense. 

Caleb Wilson stuffed the stat sheet in Chicago's last game — a 134-99 loss in Boston — by putting up 17 points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal over 32 minutes.

Wilson's 3-point shot still isn't reaching the NBA Las Vegas Summer League highs — Wilson is shooting 17.9% on 7.0 attempts per game from three-point range — but it is encouraging that he isn't scared to fire away from deep. Watching Wilson's effectiveness on offense against rugged defenders like OG Anunoby and Josh Hart will be of the utmost importance for Bulls faithful.

New York Knicks (1-3) @ Chicago Bulls (1-3)

Location: United Center | Chicago, IL.

Tipoff: Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. CT

TV: Chicago Sports Network

Radio: 104.3 FM The Score

Betting Line (FanDuel): Knicks -7.5 (-104), Bulls +7.5 (-118)

Moneyline: Knicks -270, Bulls +220

Over/Under: 232.5 

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Nic Claxton: Out (Left Hamstring Strain)

Tobe Awaka: Questionable (Left Ankle Sprain)

Patrick Williams: Questionable (Righ Adductor Strain)

New York Knicks

Jose Alvarado: Out (Left Ankle Sprain)